Several Palestinians were reportedly injured in settler attacks in the southern West Bank
Several people were injured in settler attacks on the Palestinian enclave of Masafer Yatta in the southern West Bank on Tuesday, and dozens of Israelis reportedly set fire to houses in several villages.
According to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, others were injured by IDF gunfire elsewhere in the area, including a man who the Palestinian Authority Health Ministry later said had succumbed to his wounds.
The medical service said its own medics were stoned by settlers as they tried to reach the hamlet of Khirbet al-Fakhit, where they treated a young man who suffered a head wound and a young girl whose arm was broken. Both were taken to hospital.
According to WAFA, the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency, several more people suffered bruises in a settler attack on the nearby village of Khirbet al-Halawa, where settlers also stole 150 head of livestock.
The news agency quoted a resident of the area as saying his wife and daughter were pepper-sprayed by settlers who threw stones at their home.
Get the daily edition of The Times of Israel
by email and never miss our top stories
By registering you agree to the terms and conditions
According to the news agency, another resident had his car and his home’s windows smashed and burned firewood he had stored for heating.
Footage posted on social media showed settlers throwing wood into a large fire with what appeared to be a shed in the middle.
While Israeli security forces arrived at the scene, no arrests were made.
At this time, there is an attack by settlers in the south of Mount Hebron, resulting in arson and reports of injuries. It appears that the attack is taking place in several centers at the same time.
Documentation – 27 A pic.twitter.com/07q3OTk96P
– Prosecutor Galan (@tahGonan) January 27, 2026
The reports came as Israel Defense Forces clashed with Palestinians in the town of Dahariya, just a few kilometers from Masafer Yatta, according to Palestinian media. Two Palestinians were injured by Israeli gunfire in the clashes, the Red Crescent said, including the 20-year-old man who the PA health ministry said was killed in an IDF attack.
In another, earlier incident, a 13-year-old boy was evacuated to hospital from Qalandiya refugee camp in the central West Bank after being hit in the foot by IDF gunfire, the Red Crescent said.
In Beit Fajjar, several vehicles were set on fire and a house was daubed with the Hebrew phrase “The Land of Judah Awakens.”
The IDF did not respond to requests for comment on the series of violent incidents.
Settlers in the northern West Bank reportedly attempted to attack the Palestinian village of Duweir in the Tulkarem area but were repelled by locals. Footage published by Arab media showed masked settlers throwing sticks and stones at masked Palestinians in a field outside the village.
Breaking news: Nearly 500 Palestinian olive trees were damaged by settlers near the Palestinian village of Susiya pic.twitter.com/EdmeZUhSit
— Yehuda Shaul (@YehudaShaul) January 27, 2026
To the northeast, near Nablus, Israeli activists from the left-wing religious group Bnei Avraham filmed an armed settler unloading a truckload of allegedly tainted dates in front of a Palestinian home in the community of Fasa’il, where some 500 olive trees were also reportedly uprooted by settlers.
According to Haaretz, the man is an active-duty IDF reservist who also filmed himself dumping date waste outside the Palestinian house on January 15, and recently filmed the area surrounding the house, including bringing his own livestock onto the land to graze.
The IDF said he documented illegal construction work and later said his behavior was unacceptable but that he had the right to graze in the area, Haaretz reported.
Some time ago, a settler on the reserves dumped a truck full of date waste in the Fasail community in the Jordan Valley.
But this isn’t the first time he’s done it.
On January 15, he was recorded performing the exact same action at the same location. in different clothes.
Between these two events, he was filmed filming in the courtyard of a Palestinian house. The DOC then said… pic.twitter.com/tescDXEOXm
– Prosecutor Galan (@tahGonan) January 27, 2026
Settler attacks, which occur almost daily, remain largely uncontrolled. Prosecutions of attackers are rare, and convictions are even rarer. Critics accused the government, described as the harshest in Israel’s history, of allowing the attacks to take place.
The number of attacks by extremists against Palestinians and Israeli security forces in the West Bank rose 27 percent in 2025 compared to the previous year, according to data released earlier this month by the IDF and the Shin Bet security service.
According to the data, the number of serious incidents of “nationalist crime” by settler extremists, which Israeli security authorities classify as terrorism, also increased by over 50%.
Emanuel Fabian and Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
Is accurate Israel reporting important to you?
If so, we have a request.
During the last two years of the war and the rise of anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism around the world, our journalists kept you updated every day on the most important developments that deserve your attention. Millions of people rely on ToI fact-based Reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
We care about Israel – and we know you do too. That’s why we have a request for the new year 2026: express your values Join The Times of Israel Communityan exclusive group for readers like you who value and financially support our work.
I am with you and will give. I am with you and will give. Already a member? Log in to stop seeing this
They value our journalism
They clearly find our careful reporting valuable at a time when facts are often distorted and reporting often lacks context.
Your support is essential to continuing our work. We want to continue delivering the professional journalism you value, even as the demands on our newsroom have increased dramatically since October 7.
So consider joining our reader support group today. The Times of the Israel Community. For just $6 per month, you can become our partner and enjoy The Times of Israel at the same time AD FREEand access to exclusive content only available to members of the Times of Israel community.
Thank you very much,
David Horovitz, founding editor of The Times of Israel
Join our community. Join our community. Are you already a member? Log in to stop seeing this
