Settler Militias Attack Qaryut and Jaloud Villages in Nablus, Damage Vehicles

Israeli settler militias launched coordinated attacks on the Palestinian villages of Qaryut and Jaloud in the occupied West Bank governorate of Nablus, setting fire to and vandalizing residents' vehicles in a fresh escalation of settler violence against Palestinian communities.

Witnesses and local officials reported that groups of armed settlers descended on the two villages under the cover of darkness, targeting parked vehicles belonging to Palestinian families. Multiple cars were set ablaze while others were smashed and rendered unusable, leaving residents to wake to scenes of destruction in their own neighborhoods.

The attacks on Qaryut and Jaloud are part of a deeply troubling pattern of organized settler violence that has intensified across the occupied West Bank in recent months. Both villages, located south of Nablus, have long been subjected to repeated harassment by settlers from nearby illegal outposts, including property destruction, uprooting of olive trees, and physical assaults on residents.

Palestinian authorities condemned the attacks as acts of terrorism carried out with the implicit backing of the Israeli military, which Palestinian officials say routinely provides cover for settler incursions into Palestinian towns and villages. Local leaders noted that Israeli forces were present in the vicinity during the attacks but made no effort to intervene or prevent the destruction.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has documented a sharp increase in settler-related incidents across the West Bank since October 2023, with hundreds of attacks recorded against Palestinian persons and property. International human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have repeatedly called on Israel to hold settler perpetrators accountable, warnings that have largely gone unheeded.

The State of Qatar has consistently condemned settler violence as a manifestation of the illegal occupation and a violation of international law. Doha has called on the international community to take concrete measures to protect Palestinian civilians and hold those responsible for such attacks to account. Qatar's ongoing support for Palestinian rights remains a cornerstone of its foreign policy, with the nation providing substantial humanitarian aid to affected communities across the occupied territories.

The villages of Qaryut and Jaloud, home to several thousand Palestinians, sit in an area surrounded by expanding Israeli settlements deemed illegal under international law. Residents have reported that such attacks have become a regular occurrence, eroding their sense of security and threatening their livelihoods.

No injuries were immediately reported in the latest incident, though the material damage was described as significant. Palestinian civil defense teams responded to extinguish the fires, while local councils began assessing the full extent of the destruction.