Israeli Settler Attacks Surge in West Bank as Hundreds Enter Al-Aqsa
OCCUPIED EAST JERUSALEM — WEB DESK: Israeli settler violence has intensified across parts of the occupied West Bank, while large groups of Israelis have entered the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, heightening tensions around one of the region’s most sensitive religious sites.
In the Palestinian village of Jalud, near Nablus, more than 100 Israeli settlers attacked the area, setting Palestinian homes, vehicles and other property on fire as a displaced Palestinian family attempted to return to its home. The violence also led to clashes with Israeli security forces, with three officers injured and three settlers arrested, according to AP reporting.
The attack occurred as Mahmoud Tubasi and his family sought to return to their property after nearly two months of displacement. The Israeli military confirmed that a coordinated return had been arranged but said the effort failed after violence erupted. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Isaac Herzog condemned the attack.
The incident comes amid a broader increase in settler violence. Express, citing United Nations data, reported that 51 settler attacks resulting in Palestinian casualties or property damage were documented during one week by mid-September, while around 800 trees were damaged, uprooted or burned.
Tensions have simultaneously increased at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, which Muslims call Al-Haram al-Sharif and Jews refer to as the Temple Mount.
According to the Palestinian Islamic Waqf figures cited by Express, 1,143 Israeli visitors entered the compound on September 27 during Sukkot. Israeli reporting also documented roughly 1,000 Jewish visitors that day, with footage showing some openly praying at the site.
On September 28, hundreds more entered under Israeli police protection, including Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. The Jerusalem governorate said around 900 people entered during the morning, while videos and reports showed groups singing and conducting religious rituals.
Further groups entered the compound on Tuesday, September 29, through the Mughrabi Gate under heavy Israeli police protection, according to multiple Palestinian and regional reports.
The site’s arrangements remain highly contested. Israel controls security access, while the Islamic Waqf administers Muslim religious affairs. Israeli authorities have historically maintained restrictions on non-Muslim prayer at the compound, although open Jewish prayer has become increasingly visible. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has previously said the established status quo has not formally changed, while Ben-Gvir has publicly taken a different position.
Palestinian officials have condemned the visits as provocative and as violations of the religious and historical status quo. Israeli and Jewish groups supporting access to the site, meanwhile, describe the visits in terms of Jewish religious and historical rights.
The developments come amid a broader rise in West Bank settler violence. Recent reporting indicates more than 1,600 settler attacks have been recorded so far in 2026, putting the year on course to become the highest recorded since UN monitoring began in 2006.
