B’Tselem: Israel Uses Settler Violence to Force Palestinians Out

Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Israeli human rights group B’Tselem stated that Israel backs settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The group said the attacks aim to scare Palestinian communities into leaving their homes.
In a post on X, B’Tselem shared footage of settlers setting fire to a mosque and a tractor at dawn on Sunday. The attack targeted the Bedouin community of Arab al-Malehat, northwest of Jericho.
Israel’s state-backed settler violence against Palestinian communities is aimed at scaring residents into leaving.
Watch footage of settlers torch a mosque and a tractor last night in the Palestinian community of al-Mu'arrajat>> pic.twitter.com/He2uG43FFQ— B'Tselem בצלם بتسيلم (@btselem) February 2, 2025
According to Palestine’s Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, Israeli settlers committed 2,971 attacks on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank in 2024. These attacks killed ten Palestinians and destroyed more than 14,000 trees.
The commission reported that by the end of 2024, around 770,000 Israeli settlers were living in the West Bank. They are spread across 180 settlements and 256 outposts, including 138 classified as agricultural or grazing sites. While settlements have Israeli government approval, settlers establish outposts without formal authorization.
Since Israel’s genocide in Gaza began, the military and settlers have intensified attacks in the West Bank, including the eastern part of Jerusalem. Over 900 Palestinians have been killed, nearly 6,700 injured, and around 14,300 arrested, according to official figures.
With US support, Israel has carried out a large-scale assault on Gaza since October 7, 2023. As of January 19, 2025, the attacks have killed and wounded over 159,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children. More than 14,000 remain missing, making it one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.