Israeli Settlers Torch Palestinian Homes in West Bank Village, Blocking Family's Court-Ordered Return

More than 100 Israeli settlers launched a violent raid on a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank on Monday night, setting two houses ablaze and preventing a family from reclaiming their properties despite a ruling from Israel's High Court that they must be allowed to return. The attack in Jalud, located south of Nablus, also saw settlers turn on Israeli security forces, marking an escalation in a long-running campaign of settler harassment against the al-Tubasi family.

The family had been forced to flee their homes this summer following weeks of intimidation and assaults by extremist settlers, who established an illegal outpost near Jalud and laid siege to three houses. Two of those properties belonged to the al-Tubasi sons, both married with young daughters. The family's ordeal has become a emblematic case of what human rights groups describe as Israel's systemic failure to rein in settler violence in the occupied territory.

Mahmoud al-Tubasi, 60, returned to his property accompanied by Israeli military and border police forces after receiving a midnight call informing him that coordination had been arranged for the family's return. Israel's High Court had ruled earlier this month that the family must be safely escorted back to their homes by 20 September, criticising Israeli authorities for not doing enough to combat settler violence. That deadline passed more than a week ago.

The 60-year-old described the scene to the BBC as one of unimaginable terror. "It was extremely terrifying, beyond words. It's hard to imagine the situation," he said. "My feeling now is that I am happy to have escaped death. I genuinely expected they were going to kill us." His wife Aida, 51, and their 33-year-old son Wael were with him during the attempted return.

By torchlight, the family inspected one of the homes, which had already been extensively vandalised before the fire. Video footage shared with the BBC revealed the scale of destruction: doors punctured with holes, electrical fittings torn from walls, tiles ripped up, windows shattered and rubbish scattered throughout. The toilet had been smashed and appeared to be filled with human waste, according to the account provided to the BBC.

As the family entered the already-devastated house, settlers began pelting them with stones. Al-Tubasi said the military responded by firing tear gas at the attackers, but the sheer number of settlers—he estimated more than 150—overwhelmed the security forces' ability to maintain control. The situation rapidly deteriorated as the violence spread.

A group of Israeli soldiers formed a protective barrier around the family, using pepper spray to push back settlers who attempted to approach them. The attackers slashed the tyres of a military van the family had been placed in, forcing their transfer to an armoured military vehicle. As the family was driven away from the scene, settlers set fire to their car and both of their houses. Video recorded from a distance showed thick smoke billowing from the burning structures.

Al-Tubasi acknowledged that Israeli security forces ultimately shielded his family from harm, but he expressed frustration that no action was taken against the settlers themselves. "They essentially formed a barrier, took us out safely and got us away from there," he told the BBC. "But they did not take any action against the settlers themselves."

The Israel Defense Forces confirmed the scale of the disturbance in a statement, saying "more than 100 Israeli rioters were present in the village, blocking roads, setting tyres on fire, and throwing stones at security forces." The military reported that three police officers sustained light injuries and a security forces vehicle was damaged during the confrontation.

In an unusual acknowledgment, the Israeli military described the al-Tubasi family as victims of a "nationalist crime," adding that "due to the violence, the mission to return the family to their home was not completed." The statement represented a rare official recognition of the criminal nature of settler attacks, though it remained unclear whether any arrests would follow.

The violence extended beyond the immediate incident. The head of Jalud's local council told reporters that residents confronted the settlers, leading to clashes that spread to a nearby village. In that adjacent community, a Palestinian woman was assaulted by settlers and her house was set ablaze, according to the council leader's account.

Israel's prime minister called on law enforcement authorities to prosecute those he described as "rioters," though similar pledges in the past have rarely resulted in meaningful accountability. Human rights groups point to a long pattern of Israeli authorities failing to take effective action against settler violence, with perpetrators seldom facing prosecution or significant consequences.

The High Court's ruling had been strongly worded, describing settlers' actions as "a completely unacceptable phenomenon that stands in contrast to the basic values" of Israeli society. The court's decision represented a rare judicial rebuke of the government's handling of settler violence in the West Bank, yet the events in Jalud demonstrated the gap between legal rulings and their enforcement on the ground.

The attack was not the first time the al-Tubasi family had been targeted. One month ago, Aida al-Tubasi was attacked by masked Israeli settlers in Jalud and injured, along with American journalists who were interviewing her at the time. That assault underscored the dangers facing both Palestinian residents and media personnel attempting to document settler violence in the region.

The events in Jalud highlight the broader challenge of implementing court orders in the occupied West Bank, where settler outposts have proliferated and violent attacks on Palestinian communities have become increasingly frequent. The family's legal victory in the High Court has so far proved hollow, as their homes now lie in ashes and their return remains blocked by the very settlers the court ordered authorities to confront.