Violent confrontations erupted across the occupied West Bank on Friday evening as Israeli settlers, backed by military forces, intensified a wave of attacks on Palestinian towns and villages. The unrest capped off a deadly day in which four Palestinians were killed by settler and Israeli army gunfire in Nablus, deepening fears of a sustained escalation across the territory.
The worst violence struck the town of Sarra, southwest of Nablus, where dozens of settlers stormed the community from its western edges. According to municipal head Naaman Abdullah, the assailants assaulted three residents, torched at least six homes — some fully destroyed, others partially burned — set fire to five vehicles, and damaged dozens of dunams of farmland planted with vegetables and fruit trees. Local residents attempted to confront the attackers as clashes broke out. Israeli soldiers who entered the town reportedly blocked residents from reaching the affected areas, amid further reports of additional homes being set ablaze. The Palestine Red Crescent confirmed treating three injured men, aged 45, 36, and 20, for bruises and wounds before transferring them to hospital.
Wider Escalation Across the West Bank
The violence extended well beyond Sarra. In Deir Jarir, east of Ramallah, Israeli military forces backed by armored vehicles and infantry units raided the town, firing sound bombs during the incursion. In the nearby village of Awarta, south of Nablus, settlers set fire to equipment inside a stone quarry and attempted to torch homes, an effort that local council head Mustafa Safadi said was thwarted only by residents’ quick response. Elsewhere, settlers attacked an Abu Eida ambulance near the Zaatara military checkpoint on the Nablus–Ramallah road, damaging its tires, while another group sealed the iron gate installed by Israeli forces at the entrance to Atara village north of Ramallah, blocking residents’ movement. Fierce clashes also broke out at close range between youths and Israeli forces near Balata refugee camp as troops withdrew from Nablus. In Bethlehem, settlers attacked Palestinian vehicles in the town of al-Khader, gathering near the southern “Nashash checkpoint” entrance and hurling stones at cars, though no injuries were reported. Friday’s violence marks a continuation of the broader escalation seen since the morning, when Israeli military raids and operations left several Palestinians dead and wounded across multiple locations in the West Bank.
