Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon stated that settlers are killing Palestinians in the occupied West Bank with impunity, carrying out “organized collective violence” in the region.
In an interview with the Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot, Ya’alon addressed settler violence in the West Bank, saying he returned from a tour there with “very harsh conclusions.”
He added, “I know the West Bank like the back of my hand. There are (Israeli) attacks, and cases where Palestinians have been killed and no one has been arrested.”
The West Bank is witnessing an escalation in attacks by settlers and the Israeli army against Palestinians, their property, and their livelihoods, particularly in areas near settlements and outposts. During May, the Israeli army carried out 1,108 attacks against Palestinians and their property, while settlers committed 551 attacks during the same period, according to data from the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission (a government body).