SHOTLIST:

WEST BANK, PALESTINE (NOV. 18, 2025) (ANADOLU - ACCESS ALL)

1. HEBREW PHRASES WRITTEN ON WALLS (TWO SHOTS)

2. VARIOUS OF TORCHED VEHICLES AND HOMES IN DAMAGED AREA / CHILDREN PLAYING IN DAMAGED AREA

3. PALESTINIAN MAN MUSA AHMED ABU SHALA SPEAKING TO REPORTER (Arabic)

4. TORCHED VEHICLE (TWO SHOTS)

5. ANOTHER PALESTINIAN MAN REMZI IBRAHIM ABU SHALA SPEAKING TO REPORTER (Arabic)


WEST BANK, PALESTINE - NOV. 18: Illegal Israeli settlers carried out an attack in the southern West Bank town of Jaba on Monday night, despite statements from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials that action would be taken against rising settler violence.

Masked settlers entered the area, set at least three vehicles on fire and attempted to torch several homes, according to residents.

Witnesses in Jaba said the attackers were masked, included both youths and adults, and acted in an organized manner.

The incident came as settler violence has continued to rise across the occupied West Bank, prompting a response from the Israeli government after weeks of escalating attacks.

Netanyahu said he would meet relevant ministers to address what he described as a “small group” responsible for settler violence.

Defense Minister Yisrael Katz and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also said they would take steps against what they called “a small group of extremists” carrying out attacks in the West Bank.

Members of the current Israeli government include far-right figures known for supporting settlement expansion and strict policies toward Palestinians.

Among them is National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who lives in a settlement built on Palestinian land and is known for policies that expanded access to firearms for Israelis, particularly settlers.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich also plays a key role in overseeing settlement planning in the West Bank.

The attack on Jaba followed the demolition of an unauthorized settlement structure near the Gush Etzion settlement bloc, where Israeli forces clashed with settlers and detained six individuals.

Settlers frequently establish makeshift outposts—using shacks, fences and dirt roads—as a first step toward creating what Israeli authorities classify as unauthorized settlements.

Many of these outposts, though illegal under Israeli law, later evolve into recognized settlements. Jaba sits on a hill surrounded by existing settlements, with an unauthorized outpost consisting of mobile homes located nearby.

Settler attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have reached their highest levels in two decades, according to United Nations figures.

Since Israel launched its military operation in Gaza in October 2023, arrests, raids and settler attacks in the West Bank and East Jerusalem have also increased.

Data from the Anti-Wall and Settlement Resistance Committee shows that settlers have carried out 7,154 attacks in the West Bank since October 2023, killing 33 Palestinians and forcing 33 communities to leave their homes.

Israeli forces have been criticized for failing to prevent such attacks, at times moving alongside settlers during incidents while using force against Palestinians.

Efforts to establish unauthorized settlements—often tents, containers or temporary structures—have accelerated in recent months. Settlers typically build these outposts near Palestinian communities and carry out attacks, while the Israeli military provides protection.

Palestinians who resist such attacks often face force from Israeli soldiers.

The Kefar Etzion settlement, located in the southern West Bank, was established shortly after Israel occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967 and is considered the first settlement in the territory. Hundreds more have since been built.

According to 2024 figures from the Israeli NGO Peace Now, more than 500,000 settlers live in the occupied West Bank, excluding East Jerusalem, where about 3 million Palestinians reside.

Israeli-approved settlements number 141, while unauthorized outposts built by far-right groups total 224, bringing the total number of settlements to 365. These areas are built on confiscated Palestinian land and expanded through decisions taken by the Israeli government.

Under international law, the transfer of an occupying power’s population into occupied territory and the establishment of settlements there are considered illegal.