Israeli settlers attack West Bank village, halt family’s return after court ruling

More than a hundred Israeli settlers entered the Palestinian village of Jalud in the occupied West Bank on Monday night, setting fire to two houses belonging to the al-Tubasi family and confronting Israeli security personnel. The family, escorted by the Israeli army and border police after a High Court ruling that ordered their return, was forced to leave the scene in an armored vehicle after settlers damaged the vehicle, slashed its tyres and set fire to the family’s car.

The settlers, coordinated through WhatsApp messages, threw stones at the family and Israeli forces, prompting the army to use tear gas and pepper spray. Israeli officials said three police officers were lightly injured and a security vehicle was damaged. The Israeli Defense Forces described the incident as involving "more than 100 Israeli rioters" who blocked roads, set tyres on fire and threw stones at security forces.

The al-Tubasi family, who had been displaced earlier this summer after weeks of harassment, reported extensive damage to one of their homes, including broken doors, smashed windows and a toilet filled with waste. Mahmoud al-Tubasi told the BBC that the settlers began attacking as soon as they entered the house and that the army eventually formed a barrier to extract the family safely, but did not intervene against the attackers.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attacks on security forces and called for the rioters to be prosecuted. Israeli police said three suspects had been arrested. Human-rights groups note that convictions for settler violence remain rare, with fewer than three percent of investigations leading to a conviction over the past two decades.

The incident follows a High Court decision that criticized the authorities for failing to curb settler violence and ordered the family’s safe return by 20 September, a deadline that has passed. The United Nations has reported a sharp rise in settler-related attacks this year, documenting thousands of incidents and dozens of Palestinian deaths linked to such violence.