Israeli army fails to curb settler attacks in the West Bank

Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reports that the Israeli army, police and Shin Bet are not enforcing laws against Israeli settlers who seize Palestinian land in the occupied West Bank. The paper says the army is providing security to roughly 100 illegal outposts and farms, using advanced technology and defense resources to protect them, while no arrests or charges are made against settlers who attack Palestinian villages, burn homes and destroy property.

The report claims the army has lost control over extremist settler groups and is acting as a private security force for them, aligning with right‑wing politicians such as Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Since Israel’s Gaza offensive began in October 2023, Palestinian authorities say more than 1,182 Palestinians have been killed, about 13,000 injured and nearly 24,000 detained in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as a result of the heightened violence.