Israeli settler violence ‘clear state terrorism’

JERUSALEM, Aug 11: Israeli Knesset member OferCassif has described attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank as “clear state terrorism”, accusing the Israeli government of financing, supporting and encouraging the violence.
Speaking to Al Jazeera from Taybeh in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, Cassif said settlers were acting as “proxies” for the government and Israeli occupation forces. He argued that the authorities were aware of attacks against Palestinians but were failing to take effective action against those responsible. 
“The settlers are the proxies of the government and the occupation forces,” Cassif said, adding that the attacks were supported through government funding and encouragement.
Cassif referred to recent violence against Palestinian communities, including an incident in Um al-Khair in which settlers allegedly set fire to a home. He said residents were placed in serious danger and that a pregnant woman suffered a broken arm during a settler attack. 
He also accused Israeli law enforcement agencies of failing to properly investigate or prosecute settler violence. Cassif said he had previously contacted Israel's attorney general over a 2023 attack in the Palestinian town of Huwara but received no meaningful response. 
The comments come amid a sharp increase in settler-related violence across the occupied West Bank.
According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 1,330 incidents involving Israeli settlers that caused casualties, property damage or both had been recorded across the West Bank since the beginning of 2026. The incidents have affected hundreds of Palestinian communities. 
OCHA reported that 18 Palestinians had been killed in incidents linked to settler attacks by July 20, already exceeding the 17 deaths recorded during the whole of 2025. It said 12 of those killed were attributed to Israeli settlers, while three were killed by Israeli forces and responsibility remained disputed in three cases. 
The UN agency also recorded about 880 Palestinian injuries linked to settler attacks during the first part of 2026. Israeli settlers were responsible for about 720 of those injuries, according to OCHA. The agency said settler attacks had become a major source of Palestinian injuries in the West Bank. 
The violence has also caused significant property damage and displacement. OCHA said more than 1,330 settler attacks had been documented across about 250 Palestinian communities since January. The incidents included vandalism, arson, assaults and attacks on homes, water infrastructure and other civilian property. 
Humanitarian officials have warned that the consequences extend beyond individual attacks. Damage to water systems, homes and agricultural infrastructure has disrupted livelihoods and increased the vulnerability of Palestinian communities, particularly Bedouin and herding communities in areas of the West Bank under Israeli control.�" AGENCIES