Image taken from overhead video provided by IDF showing settlers surrounding IDF forces and vehicles in Samaria on SUnday night (Video clip - @marioNawfal/X)
Surveillance video snippet of settlers surrounding an IDF vehicle Sunday night

Settler Anarchy: Riots, Arson, and Assaults on Israeli Forces Rock Samaria

Details
The Judean Staff
National

In an unprecedented escalation that has shaken Israel’s security establishment, far-right Jewish extremists torched a multi-million-shekel IDF surveillance facility in Samaria on Sunday night, marking one of the most severe acts of settler violence ever recorded against Israeli forces.

The arson targeted a critical installation near Ramallah used by the Israeli military to monitor terror threats, intercept attacks, and protect civilians traveling through volatile areas. Flames gutted the structure, leaving behind scorched walls tagged with graffiti and disabling key monitoring systems, which, according to the IDF, “poses a danger to the security of the residents.”

Riots, Assaults, and Pepper Spray Attacks on Soldiers

Hours before the facility was set ablaze, dozens of extremist settlers rioted outside the Binyamin Regional Brigade base, vandalizing military vehicles, spray-painting anti-IDF slogans, and pepper-spraying soldiers tasked with protecting their communities. Photographs released by the IDF show burned structures, charred fencing, and disfigured security equipment amid the chaos.

Officials are currently assessing the operational damage amid concerns that the destruction may have compromised Israel’s surveillance capabilities in an area already plagued by Palestinian terror cells.

A Week of Settler Violence

Sunday’s violence was the culmination of a week of lawlessness by radical settlers:

  • Earlier that day, over ten armed extremists torched a home in the Palestinian town of Hizma near Jerusalem and opened fire before fleeing.

  • Over the weekend, settlers clashed with IDF forces in Kafr Malik, where a 14-year-old Jewish boy who had been throwing rocks at a military vehicle was accidentally shot. The IDF’s initial investigation concluded that the shooting was unintentional, consistent with strict IDF policy regarding rock-throwing incidents, which typically employs non-lethal force unless civilian lives are directly endangered.

IDF Detains Six Settlers After Attacks on Security Forces

The incident that happened late Friday night, ended when the IDF detained six settlers in the Samaria-based Palestinian town.

According to an IDF statement, soldiers spotted Israeli civilians driving toward a closed military zone near Kafr Malik, where settlers days earlier had torched Palestinian homes and vehicles, reportedly killing three Palestinians. When security forces attempted to intercept them, the suspects physically assaulted soldiers, hurled threats, vandalized military vehicles, and even attempted vehicular ramming attacks against IDF personnel.

Soldiers fired three warning shots in the air to disperse the assailants but did not employ live fire against civilians, consistent with IDF engagement protocols. The six suspects were arrested and transferred to Israel Police for investigation.

Political Leaders Condemn Settler Violence

The attacks have triggered rare, unified condemnation across Israel’s political spectrum:

  • Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich declared, “Criminals are criminals are criminals in every place in the country,” signaling zero tolerance for violence against security forces.

  • National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, known for his pro-settler stance, called the assault on soldiers “a red line.”

  • Former Defense Minister Benny Gantz warned that “weak condemnations will not stop the violence – only actions will.”

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a strong statement demanding a thorough investigation and swift justice:

“These individuals are a small minority who do not represent the vast majority of settlers, who respect the law and serve in the IDF and the security forces.”

Opposition leader Yair Lapid added:

“The extremists who attack IDF soldiers during these difficult days are dangerous criminals aiding our enemies.”

A Test of Israeli Resolve

The wave of settler violence against Israeli forces is not merely a law enforcement challenge; it is a direct assault on Israeli sovereignty and security during a time when the IDF is stretched thin defending the nation against external threats.

The IDF reaffirmed its commitment to “protecting civilians while enforcing the law wherever it may occur” and called upon law enforcement agencies to prosecute the perpetrators to the fullest extent.

As Israel faces threats from Gaza, Hezbollah, and Iran, internal extremist violence threatens to fracture national unity and divert critical security resources, forcing Israel to confront a hard truth: no one, not even those claiming to act in the name of Zionism, is above the law.

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