Six Israelis charged after settler attack on West Bank village

RAMALLAH: Israeli prosecutors have brought charges against six people, including terrorism-related counts, over a settler attack on a Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank that involved the burning of a mosque, according to police.

Palestinians have long said that violence by settlers in the occupied West Bank often does not lead to punishment. While indictments have become more frequent alongside an increase in such attacks, rights groups say that this has not translated into improved protection for Palestinians.

In a statement, police said the case involved Deir Dibwan, a village in the central West Bank. The statement said six indictments had been filed over acts described as terrorism, arson, sabotage and violent rioting, and said the offences were allegedly carried out with a nationalistic motive.

The attack took place on June 14, when illegal Israeli settlers targeted two villages in the West Bank, including Deir Dibwan. At the time, the military said security forces had been sent to several locations after reports of arson and violent unrest by Israeli civilians.

Police said the investigation found that the suspects had coordinated their entry into the village, and that they were masked and carrying flammable materials, tear gas and a knife. According to the police statement, once inside the village they set fire to vegetation and vehicles, damaged the local mosque, attacked residents’ homes and threw stones at vehicles and occupied houses.

The police added that the latest action by the Jerusalem district attorney’s office brought the number of indictments this year against people accused of extreme violence to 51.

More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in settlements and outposts in the occupied West Bank that are illegal under international law, while three million Palestinians live in the territory. Israel has occupied the Palestinian territory since 1967, and violence there has intensified since the Gaza conflict began in October 2023.

The United Nations says settler attacks have risen sharply in 2026, reaching an average of six incidents a day.