West Bank - Israeli settlers carried out a spate of arson attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank on Saturday night.
"Last night, IDF and border police forces were dispatched to several Palestinian villages... following reports of Israeli civilians committing acts of arson against structures and property, as well as engaging in disturbances in the area," the Israeli military said on Sunday.
The Palestinian news agency WAFA said several Palestinians were injured in the attacks.
The incidents came after the army said an Israeli civilian died Saturday "following a report received regarding a Palestinian vehicle that hit an Israeli vehicle."
Israeli police said they were investigating whether the incident was "terror-related," but there was no confirmation.
Videos on social media showed Palestinian homes and buildings in flames in the villages of Jalud, Fandaqumiya, Silat ad-Dhahr, and Qaryut.
"I have been reporting on and documenting settler terrorism in the West Bank for three years, and I have never seen anything like this," Palestinian activist Ihab Hassan posted on X.
"Tonight’s major pogrom across the West Bank was highly organized and fully backed by the Israeli government and the Israeli army. It did not happen in a vacuum – it was fueled by incitement from Israel’s Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, and other Israeli Knesset members."
"If this tells us anything, it is that this is not the peak; it is a warning of something far worse that may soon unfold in the West Bank: Genocide and ethnic cleansing."
Israeli violence in the West Bank on the rise
Deadly violence by Israeli settlers and soldiers against Palestinians in the West Bank has surged since the start of the Middle East war.
Six Palestinians have been shot dead in settler attacks in the West Bank since March 1, according to a tally of data from the Ramallah-based health ministry.
That comes after violence in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, has risen sharply since Israel launched its all-out assault on Gaza on October 7, 2023.
According to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry figures, Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 1,050 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the war on Gaza.