Dozens of Israeli settlers launched a violent rampage in the Palestinian village of Jab’a in the occupied West Bank on Monday, torching homes and vehicles just hours after Israeli forces demolished illegal settler structures nearby.
Geolocated videos reviewed by CNN show multiple cars and at least one building engulfed in flames as residents fought to contain the fires. Surveillance footage captured masked men storming a home and setting vehicles alight.
Diab Masha’leh, the head of the Jab’a village council, told the Palestinian news agency Wafa that three inhabited homes and three vehicles were set on fire. No injuries were reported, but the damage was extensive.
The assault comes amid a sharp rise in settler violence across the West Bank. In an unusually direct statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the attackers as “a small, extremist group” and said he would personally convene ministers to address the unrest.
His remarks hinted at tensions with far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, a vocal defender of settlement expansion.
The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged that settlers launched the attacks after security forces demolished illegal outpost structures earlier in the day.
The IDF said troops were searching for suspects and described the violence as a serious distraction from security operations.
Earlier, clashes erupted between settlers and Israeli forces during the demolition of the outpost near Metzad, also known as Asfar.
Several officers were injured as rioters hurled stones, metal objects, and burned vehicles during the confrontation. Six suspects were arrested.
Defense Minister Israel Katz denounced the attackers as a “violent, criminal group” and insisted the state would not allow civilians to undermine Israeli forces or destabilize the area.
