Israeli President Condemns “Shocking” Settler Attack on Palestinians, Urges End to West Bank Violence

Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday denounced what he described as a “shocking and serious” assault by Jewish settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, calling for decisive action to halt a surge in settler violence.

Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial but intended to serve as a unifying moral voice, said the violence committed by a “handful” of perpetrators “crosses a red line.”

“All state authorities must act decisively to eradicate this phenomenon and to strengthen the IDF fighters and security forces who protect us day and night,” he wrote on social media.

His remarks followed a violent incident on Tuesday, when dozens of masked settlers attacked the Palestinian villages of Beit Lid and Deir Sharaf, torching vehicles and property before clashing with Israeli soldiers.

Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, head of Israel’s Central Command, echoed Herzog’s condemnation, describing the attackers as an “anarchist fringe” within the settler community. “The reality in which violent fringe youth act against innocent civilians and security forces is unacceptable and extremely serious,” Bluth said, vowing that the military would respond “firmly.”

According to the UN humanitarian office, settler violence in the West Bank reached its highest level in October since records began in 2006, with more than 260 reported attacks.

The surge in violence coincides with the ongoing war in Gaza and the annual Palestinian olive harvest, a period that often sees tensions flare.

Critics accuse Israeli authorities of failing to curb the attacks, noting that key government figures — including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir — are vocal supporters of the settler movement.

In Tuesday’s incident, the Israeli army said settlers assaulted Palestinians in two villages before retreating to an industrial zone, where they attacked soldiers and damaged a military vehicle. Four settlers were arrested, while four Palestinians were wounded.

Palestinian official Muayyad Shaaban said settlers set fire to dairy trucks, farmland, and Bedouin tents, accusing Israel of protecting those responsible. “This is part of a campaign to drive Palestinians from their land,” he said, calling for sanctions against groups that “sponsor and support colonial settlement terrorism.”

Local residents voiced fear and frustration. “It can’t be that we keep living our whole lives in a state of fear and danger,” said Mahmoud Edeis of Beit Lid.

Amjad Amer Al-Juneidi, who works at a dairy factory that was torched, described the assault as “fully organized,” with one attacker carrying fuel, another prying open the door, and a third igniting the blaze. “Their entry wasn’t random — they knew exactly what they were doing,” he said.