Israeli settler violence rocks the West Bank

On the afternoon of 21 March, 18-year-old Zionist settler, Yehuda Sherman, died when his quad-bike collided with a Palestinian owned vehicle. Sherman, who lived in the illegal outpost of Shuva Yisrael—in the northern occupied West Bank—was supposedly carrying out a “security patrol”. This is when the crash occurred.

Revenge attacks by Zionist settlers

In the immediate aftermath of his death, 20 locations across the occupied West Bank witnessed violent settler terrorist attacks.

Late on Saturday, Israeli settlers stormed the village of al-Fandaqumiya and the town of Seilat al-Dahr, south of Jenin, late on Saturday. They smashed windows and used Molotov cocktails to set fire to vehicles and homes, and they brutally attacked Palestinians.

The violence continued throughout the night into Sunday morning, in what international media sources have described as revenge attacks.

Settlers also hurled rocks at an ambulance belonging to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PACS) in another unprovoked attack. PACS personnel reported that the violent mob smashed the ambulance’s windscreen. This took place while they were responding to a traffic accident near the Shilo settlement in Ramallah.

In the early hours of Sunday, 22 March, a terrorist mob of Zionist settlers carried out attacks on the Palestinian towns of Jalud, and Qaryout, in Nablus. They burnt homes and vehicles, and violently assaulted Palestinians residents who reported multiple injuries.

Apartheid deepens in the occupied West Bank

Palestinian news agency WAFA reported similar incidents in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron. Settlers, flanked by Israeli occupation forces (IOF), stormed the area. They injured two Palestinians, and three others were arrested by the IOF, while providing cover for illegal settlers.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement condemning these calculated attacks, which is described as:

organised settler terrorism as part of a genocidal war against the Palestinian people.

Sherman’s funeral took place on the Sunday afternoon, at Elon Moreh settlement, northeast of Nablus. More than 500 people attended, including far-right finance minister and head of the Religious Zionism party, Bezalel Smotrich. Additionally, Smotrich has been described by credible sources as a “religiously dedicated Israeli settler.”

To secure unrestricted travel routes for Israelis attendees, the IOF closed off access to Route 60—the main north-south road in the West Bank. The road serves as a lifeline for rural Palestinian communities travelling to cities in the West Bank for work and school. Furthermore, the closure was announced on the last day of the Muslim Eid holiday. As a result, many Palestinians who had been visiting relatives were prevented from returning home. 

Since 7 October 2023, the Israeli occupation has installed more than 915 barriers restricting the freedom of movement for Palestinians. These include iron gates, as well as arbitrary and excessive checkpoints outside almost every village and town in the occupied West Bank. As most Palestinian communities are surrounded by iron gates, the IOF can close these at will. This further restricts the movement of West Bankers.

Settler impunity

Far-right Israeli voices have vocally condemned Sherman’s death as “murder,” without providing any supporting evidence. In a post on X, Smotrich wrote the following tribute:

I participate wholeheartedly in the grief of my friends and longtime partners, Yehoshua and Sima Sherman and their family, over the murder of their son, Yehuda Shmuel Sherman, may God avenge his blood, who fell while guarding our land in the settlement in the soil of Samaria [a biblical term used by Israelis to describe the northern West Bank].

Extremist, criminal national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir also posted a tribute, claiming Sherman was “murdered in the defense of the land of Samaria.”

One funeral attendee, quoted by the Times of Israel reported that Sherman had been fulfilling a “strategic mission” to expel Palestinians from the West Bank. This would bring about Jewish settlement in the territory. They said that:

Every day, he took his herd out [to pasture] to remove the enemy from all the territory there so that Jews will come back to this place.

Sherman’s father Yehoshua—aligned withSmotrich’s Religious Zionist party—pledged to continue his son’s work by establishing new illegal settlement outposts in the coming days. He also called for the abrogation of the Oslo agreement.

A translation of the post above reads:

Great pain over the murder of Yehuda Shmuel Sherman, may God avenge his blood, who was murdered in defense of the land of Samaria.

Embracing his parents Yehoshua and Sima and all family members, and sharing in their profound grief. The entire people of Israel are with you.

Strengthening the community of Alon Moreh and the residents of Samaria. We will continue to hold on to the land, to build, and to carry on his path.

May his memory be blessed.

Settler violence in the occupied West Bank has increased exponentially since the start of the genocide in Gaza, and has intensified again with the US-Israeli led attacks on Iran.

Settler terrorism grips the West Bank

On 21 March, diplomats from 13 European countries and Canada issued a joint statement condemning the surge in settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. They described the violence as “settler terror,” and warned it is contributing to the forced displacement of Palestinian communities. Furthermore, they called on Israel to ensure accountability and protect civilians.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly called on global governing bodies, particularly the UN, to implement resolutions aimed at disarming settlers and holding them accountable for acts of terrorism.

This includes imposing travel bans, freezing their assets, placing them on international terrorism lists, and targeting the financial networks and goods associated with settlements.

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