RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesIsraeli settlers raided the West Bank Palestinian town of Surif overnight Friday-Saturday, where they attacked residents, set fire to cars and damaged property, according to Israeli authorities and Palestinian media.
The IDF said Saturday morning that it received a report of three Palestinians who were wounded after being attacked by Israelis in Surif, west of Hebron, and dispatched troops to the area.
The troops located cars that were set on fire, along with Hebrew graffiti sprayed on a structure, the army said.
No arrests were made as the settlers apparently fled before the IDF arrived.
Footage purportedly from the town showed masked Israelis hurling stones at a home, as well as a burnt-out car following the attack.
According to Surif's Mayor, Hazem Gheimat, the attackers arrived from the nearby settlement of Bat Ayin, and set fire to several cars before fleeing.
Israeli settlers attacked the home of Palestinian resident Moataz Abdullah Ghneimat in the town of Surif last night, terrorizing his family, including women and children, before setting his vehicle on fire and spray-painting racist graffiti on the walls of the house.
— Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) August 1, 2026
The Israel Police said that officers entered Surif on Saturday morning escorted by the IDF to collect evidence and testimony for the investigation. "The Israel Police and security forces view such cases of violence and causing damage gravely and will continue to act decisively and professionally to locate those involved, investigate them, and bring them to justice," police added.
Later Saturday, a group of Israeli settlers attacked the Ramallah-area village of Beitillu, assaulting a Palestinian man and his wife, according to the WAFA news agency.
????إصابة مزارع وزوجته خلال اعتداء نفذه مستوطنون على أرضهما في بلدة بيتللو شمال غرب رام الله. pic.twitter.com/HlFDBRiHi4
— شبكة يافا الإخبارية (@yaffa_ps) August 1, 2026
The couple was reportedly working on their farm when several extremist settlers attacked them, leaving both moderately injured. The two were taken for treatment at a local hospital, the report said. Israel Police did not immediately comment on the report.
The latest incident comes a week after two Israelis and four Palestinians were killed in a gunfight that erupted when settlers entered the West Bank town of Tell.
Settler violence has mounted in recent months, with near-daily attacks taking place throughout the West Bank, but few suspected assailants are arrested and charged. Critics accuse the government of condoning or even encouraging the attacks.
Attacks regularly take place on Friday nights and Saturdays, during the Jewish Shabbat rest day, even though many of the alleged perpetrators are religious.
Shin Bet figures from earlier this year found that three times more Palestinians were victims of terror attacks in the West Bank than Jews.
The military recorded 867 incidents of nationalistic crime and settler violence in 2025, up from 682 incidents in 2024.
The war with Iran has been draining for all of us in Israel. But when I heard about a high casualty incident – ballistic missile impacts in Arad and Dimona that left nearly 200 people wounded – I drank a cup of coffee, packed a bag, and headed south.
There, I spoke with Shilgit, the head of an after-school program for underprivileged youth. Standing outside her destroyed center, Shilgit said it was a miracle that no children were hurt and spoke about the community coming together in the hours since.
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