Israeli settlers seize homes in Jericho neighborhood, displacing families
Armed settlers entered a Jericho district on Nov. 4, forcing at least 13 Palestinian families out of their homes and occupying the properties, while Israeli military officials said they are reviewing the settlers' purchase claims.
Armed Israeli settlers entered the Al-Duyuk Al-Tahta neighborhood on the outskirts of Jericho in the occupied West Bank on Nov. 4, breaking into homes, ransacking belongings and forcing families to leave. Residents said about 30 settlers, some wearing masks, expelled at least 13 households and hung Israeli flags on the seized houses. The settlers then patrolled the area with rifles and pistols, while Israeli women and children were observed nearby.
One resident, Mustafa Kaaba, described being beaten with sticks and sustaining injuries. His wife, Fatima, said the settlers took appliances and furniture and destroyed schoolbooks written in Arabic. The family of seven slept in their car after the incident.
Peace Now, an Israeli organization that opposes settlement expansion, warned that the takeover could increase friction and undermine prospects for a political agreement. The group said the neighborhood had previously experienced attacks linked to a nearby outpost called Palace Farms, including demolition of homes earlier in the year.
The properties are located in Area C, where Israel retains full civil and military control under the Oslo Accords. Settlement organization Nachala and the Binyamin Regional Council claim the homes were legally purchased, a claim disputed by Jericho Governor Hussein Hamayel, who said the land belongs to Jordan’s state treasury and that the sales are forged.
An Israeli military official responded that troops conducted situational assessments after the settlers entered the homes and that the incident was not coordinated with the IDF. The official said the army would examine the settlers’ purchase claims in the coming week and that soldiers are tasked with safeguarding security for all residents.
Following the seizure, Palestinian residents reported increased restrictions on movement, including barriers erected by settlers and incidents of violence against locals attempting to access farmland. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has documented more than 6,400 Palestinians displaced across the West Bank between Jan. 2023 and Aug. 2026 due to settler attacks and access restrictions.