[News] Settler violence turns inward: IOF attacked, security post burned

[Anti-Imperialist News]

english.almayadeen.net
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/settler-violence-turns-inward--iof-attacked--security-post-b>
Settler violence turns inward: IOF attacked, security post burned
Al Mayadeen English
June 30, 2025
------------------------------

Settler violence mainly aimed at Palestinians has now targeted the IOF,
with rioters torching a military post and assaulting soldiers in the
occupied West Bank.

   - [image: Members of Israeli occupation forces patrol a street during a
   raid in the West Bank refugee camp of Nur Shams. Thursday August 29, 2024.
   (AP)]
   <https://alpha-en-media.almayadeen.net/media/image/2025/6/30/538143a6-d636-4dd0-ba22-626b199198e4.jpeg?v=3&width=1000>
   IOF soldiers patrol a street during a raid in the West Bank refugee camp of
   Nur Shams on Thursday, August 29, 2024. (*AP*)

Dozens of Israeli settlers torched a security site and clashed with the Israeli
army in the occupied West
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-forces-raid-west-bank-villages-amid-settler-violence>
Bank late Sunday, deepening a growing internal rift within "Israel" amid rising
settler violence against
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/settlers-shoot-and-assault-palestinians-in-hizma--masafer-ya>
Palestinians.

Settler violence against Palestinians across the West Bank occurs almost
daily
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-settlers-storm-al-buraq-wall--attack-palestinians-in>,
typically without consequence; suspects are seldom arrested, and
prosecutions are even rarer. The pattern has drawn increasing international
condemnation and led to growing sanctions by Western nations.

The unrest comes just days after settlers physically assaulted a senior
Israeli army officer near the village of Kafr Malik, with the attack
culminating in multiple coordinated attacks against Israeli forces and
infrastructure, as per Israeli media.

Settlers gathered outside the Binyamin Regional Brigade base, some carrying
a banner accusing the battalion commander of treason. They hurled rocks,
sprayed mace, and slashed army vehicle tires in an attempt to storm the
base. The Israeli army responded with stun grenades to disperse the crowd,
but no arrests were made, Israeli media reported.

Separately, settlers set fire to a security facility near Ramallah, which
the Israeli military said was used to “thwart terror attacks and maintain
security.” Despite the severity of the attack, the Shin Bet has yet to
announce any arrests, as per the Israeli media.

In a rare statement, the Israeli army condemned the settler violence, “The
IDF condemns any act of violence against security forces... and expects
security forces to bring to justice Israeli civilians who harm security
personnel.”
Settlers riot and walk free; Palestinians face bullets for existing

Tensions flared days earlier in Kafr Malik
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/iof-raids-in-the-west-bank--7-palestinians-arrested--1-kille>,
where settlers sought to re-establish an illegal outpost on Palestinian
land. At the time, Israeli occupation forces killed three Palestinians.
Meanwhile, around 70 settlers ambushed military personnel, physically
assaulting soldiers, including a battalion commander, and slashing police
vehicle tires. Riot control measures were used, but no live ammunition was
fired, and only six settlers were detained, as per Israeli media.

Roughly two hours later, another violent confrontation unfolded when a
masked group of settlers ambushed an Israeli military patrol about six
kilometers away. Believing the attackers were Palestinians, the
commanding officer
immediately fired live shots
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/70-martyred-in-west-bank-since-start-of-year--majority-from>
.

Had the individuals indeed been Palestinian
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/iof-intensifies-raids--arrests--and-home-seizures-in-west-ba>,
they would likely have been shot dead on the spot. It was only upon
realizing the perpetrators were settlers that the officer held back, laying
bare the selective, often lethal, rules of engagement that dictate who
lives and who dies in the occupied West Bank.

Upon realizing they were Israeli settlers, he attempted arrests but faced
threats and verbal abuse, including one settler yelling: “I’ll shoot you in
the head, you son of a w****.” The settlers then fled.

Roughly 30 minutes later, a 14-year-old settler arrived at a military post
with a bullet wound, Israeli media reported. The settlers accompanying him
refused to explain how he was injured. While unconfirmed, the Israeli army
noted the officer acted “completely according to protocol,” raising
questions about the use of live ammunition and the assumptions guiding
engagement.

A senior officer commented bluntly, “If a person who threatens our forces
is hit, it’s his problem. What is a 14-year-old boy doing masked and
throwing stones at an army patrol?”
Wider context

Although some members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right
coalition openly back extremist settlers, the latest incident drew rare
condemnations by Israelis.

These violent incidents highlight a growing fracture within the settler
community and military establishment in "Israel". While settler violence
against Palestinians is frequent and often ignored, direct attacks on
Israeli soldiers have pushed the military to respond more forcefully,
albeit still without arrests or serious consequences.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a staunch supporter of the settler
movement, who had earlier criticized the army’s use of live fire, said the
settlers had crossed a red line, “Criminals are criminals are criminals in
every place in the country.” However, others in the ruling coalition
downplayed the attacks. Likud MK Avihai Boaron described the assailants as
“marginalized youth,” claiming, “A rock is a rock, but the throwing hand is
not the same throwing hand.”

Security Minister Israel Katz last year ended administrative detention for
settlers, a policy that remains in place for Palestinians
<https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/israeli-settlers--backed-by-occupation-forces--assault-pales>.
Meanwhile, the head of the Israeli police’s West Bank division is under
investigation for ignoring settler violence to curry favor with Police
Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, yet he continues to serve in his post.
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