Israeli settlers went on a destructive spree across several Palestinian villages from Saturday night into Sunday, causing damage to property, injuring individuals, and igniting fires in the occupied West Bank. The attacks, reported in at least six communities by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, resulted in several Palestinians sustaining head injuries in the village of Jalud after clashes with the settlers.

The violence coincided with Israel’s ongoing establishment of new settlements in the occupied West Bank, intensifying attacks by settlers amid a broader escalation of violence since the onset of the Iran war. The Israeli military responded to reports of arson and disturbances by Israeli civilians in the area but did not disclose any arrests or investigations initiated.

Incidents were documented in various villages such as Silat al Dahr, Fandaqumiya, Jalud, Salfit, Masafer Yatta, and the Jordan Valley. Homes and vehicles were set ablaze, individuals were pepper-sprayed, and at least five people were injured during the assaults that occurred during the Eid al-Fitr holiday celebrating the end of Ramadan.

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 25 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers and soldiers in the West Bank this year as of March 15. The Palestinian Authority has also recorded numerous arson attacks, including on mosques, throughout the region.

The overnight violence followed the death of an 18-year-old settler in a collision with a Palestinian vehicle near two of the targeted villages. Police are investigating claims by the settlers that the collision was intentional.