‘We’re here to stay’: West Bank Palestinians defy Israeli attacks

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that residents of at-Tuwani, a Palestinian village in Masafer Yatta in the occupied West Bank, say masked Israeli settlers attacked the community overnight on July 19, setting fire to property including homes, a factory, a car and the village mosque. Khadera Ima, 72, told the outlet she watched from her roof as 30 to 40 masked settlers moved through the village, throwing petrol and stones. A local resident, Adam al-Adara, said villagers tried to extinguish fires and move children away from danger before the attackers were pushed out after about 10 minutes.

The report says residents believe the violence is part of a wider effort to force Palestinians from their land. Sami Huraini, a village council member and field researcher, described the assault as an escalation within a broader pattern of settler attacks, demolition threats, land confiscation and Israeli military control. At-Tuwani is in Area C, where Israel maintains full civil and military authority, and sits near Firing Zone 918, an area at the center of long-running displacement fears in Masafer Yatta.

Al Jazeera cites UN humanitarian data saying settler attacks causing casualties or property damage averaged six per day in the first five months of 2026, and notes rights groups have long documented limited accountability for such violence. It also reports that settlers returned to at-Tuwani in the days after the arson attack, including armed men on July 20 and a military-escorted visit for prayer on July 24, according to residents.

The account matters because at-Tuwani residents say they are now relying on night watches and cameras for protection while insisting they will not leave. Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law, though Israel disputes some international characterizations of the territory.