“Israeli” Army Admits Sharp Rise in Settler Terror as “Israel” Fails to Curb West Bank Violence

By Staff, Agencies

Violence carried out by extremist Jewish settlers against Palestinians—and even against “Israeli” security personnel—in the occupied West Bank increased dramatically in 2025, according to figures compiled by the “Israel” Occupation Forces [IOF] and the Shin Bet security agency.

Data presented to reporters on Monday shows that settler attacks rose by 27 percent compared to the previous year, while the number of serious incidents classified by “Israeli” authorities themselves as “‘nationalistic’ crime” or terrorism surged by more than 50 percent.

Despite the near-daily nature of these attacks, they are rarely met with meaningful consequences. Prosecutions of Jewish extremists remain exceedingly rare, and convictions even rarer, reinforcing long-standing accusations that the government—widely described as the most extreme in “Israel’s” history—has effectively tolerated or enabled settler violence.

Officials from the IOF’s Central Command, which oversees the occupied West Bank and Jordan Valley, admitted they had failed to contain the growing wave of attacks.

According to the figures, the IOF and Shin Bet documented 867 incidents of settler “‘nationalistic’ crime” in 2025, up from 682 in 2024—an increase of 27 percent. In 2023, the year of Hamas’s October 7 attack, 1,045 such incidents were recorded.

More alarming is the sharp rise in severe attacks, including shootings, arson, and other violent assaults. In 2025 alone, 128 serious incidents were documented, compared to 83 in 2024 and 54 in 2023.

“Israeli” security agencies estimate that around 300 Jewish extremists are actively involved in settler violence, with roughly 70 described as “hardcore” perpetrators responsible for the most extreme attacks.

Most of these extremists reside in 42 illegal outposts scattered across the occupied West Bank, according to “Israeli” defence officials. Up to half of them are formally registered as residents of towns and cities inside “Israel” itself, highlighting the deep integration of settler violence into the state structure.

Of the 70 most dangerous extremists, 39 are currently subject to restraining orders issued by Central Command chief Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth. These orders bar them from entering the West Bank or place them under house arrest if they are registered settlers. Bluth has also authorized the use of electronic ankle monitors, yet only two devices have been issued so far—and as of Monday, only one settler had agreed to wear one.

Central Command officials expressed frustration that they have been forced to rely on what they described as “draconian” military orders rather than standard criminal prosecution—an implicit admission of the failure of “Israel’s” so-called “civilian” law enforcement system to act against “Israeli” settlers.

They also noted that “Israeli” courts frequently undermine these measures, allowing sanctioned settlers to violate restraining orders and house arrests without punishment.

Further underscoring the depth of the problem, the military acknowledged that dozens of members of the IOF’s so-called area ‘defense’ force—known by its Hebrew acronym “Hagmar” and composed largely of local settlers serving as reservists—were dismissed over the past year for violations including direct attacks on Palestinians.

The figures reinforce growing criticism that settler violence is not an aberration, but a structural feature of “Israel’s” occupation—one sustained by impunity, political backing and the failure of state institutions to protect Palestinians.