NEW YORK, August 14. /TASS/. Israeli radicals from among the settlers have carried out a record number of attacks on Palestinian residents in the West Bank, which is partially controlled by the Palestinian Authority, this year, The New York Times reported, citing UN data and internal documents from Israeli government agencies.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Israeli radicals carried out approximately 750 attacks on Palestinians and their property during the first half of 2025. This is the highest number since 2006, when the UN began tracking these statistics. Internal reports obtained by the newspaper indicate that the Israeli military has recorded 440 attacks since the beginning of this year. Attacks increased significantly after the Hamas militant group attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. However, the conflict's escalation in the Gaza Strip in 2025 also worsened the situation in the West Bank.

The New York Times pointed out that the Israeli military, which exercises partial control over the West Bank, rarely prosecutes Israeli settlers for these attacks. When it does, it is usually in administrative or civil cases. Meanwhile, Palestinians in similar situations face criminal charges. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) expanded their presence in the West Bank after October 7 to combat militants but have failed to prevent attacks by Israeli settlers and have not stopped construction. Moreover, IDF soldiers often ignore attacks on Palestinians. At the same time, a senior Israeli military official told the newspaper that soldiers under his command try to protect both settlers and local Palestinians.

Targets of attacks

Since October 2023, settlers have actively expanded their presence in the West Bank. According to Peace Now, an Israeli project, more than 130 new settlements have been built since the beginning of last year, surpassing the previous 20 years. Most of these settlements were not authorized by the Israeli authorities. While the vast majority of the 700,000 settlers who began settling in the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967 do not engage in hostile actions against local Palestinians, there are radical circles, including some settlement leaders, whose goal is to drive Palestinians off fertile land. However, radical circles exist, including some settlement leaders, whose goal is to drive Palestinians off fertile land.

Since October 2023, radicals have forced about 38 settlements in the area northeast of Ramallah, the capital of the Palestinian Authority, to relocate, according to the Israeli human rights project B'Tselem. This displacement process is spreading to other areas adjacent to Jewish settlements with fertile soil near the villages of Beitin and Burqa. Typically, radicals attack Palestinian settlements at night, setting fire to cars and buildings. Sometimes, these raids take place in broad daylight, leading to physical clashes between Israelis and Palestinians.

On situation in West Bank

On July 23, the Knesset (the Israeli parliament) adopted a declaration urging the government to extend the country's sovereignty to the West Bank. Although the document is purely declarative, ten Arab and Islamic countries, including Bahrain, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Qatar, Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, condemned the move as a flagrant violation of international law and UN Security Council resolutions. The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that it views Israel's declaration negatively and assumes that it will not be implemented. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that Ottawa would recognize a Palestinian state during the UN General Assembly session in September of this year. Similar statements were made by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron.