At least 10 Palestinians killed as Israel begins operation in Jenin

In another development in the West Bank on Monday night, dozens of masked Israeli extremists attacked Palestinians in two villages east of Qalqilya, Jinsafut and al-Funduq, setting fire to Palestinian homes and cars and smashing property.

At least 21 Palestinians were injured, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent. Two Israelis were also shot, apparently when an Israeli police officer opened fire while responding to the violence.

“If you were there last night, you would hear nothing but the screams of women and children,” said Mohammed, whose family home in al-Funduq was meters away from a garden center that was set on fire.

“At the end of the day, we have nothing to protect ourselves. But they have everything to attack us.”

The Israeli military said it was investigating the incidents, during which it said Israeli civilians “incited riots, set fire to property and caused damage”. It also said they threw stones and attacked Israeli security forces.

It happened just as the new US president, Donald Trump, announced that he was lifting sanctions against Israeli settlers accused of carrying out attacks in the West Bank.

The reversal of the Biden administration’s sanctions targeting radical Israelis could indicate the direction of the new White House, which is expected to be more tolerant of Jewish settlement expansion.

Far-right, pro-settler Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich welcomed the US move. In a post on X, he praised Trump’s “unwavering and uncompromising support for the state of Israel.”

Meanwhile, Palestinian officials condemned the change in policy. “Lifting sanctions against extremist settlers encourages them to commit more crimes against our people,” the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The mayor of al-Funduq, Luay Tayyam, told the BBC: “It’s like a green light for the settlers, saying, ‘Just go ahead, do whatever you want. You won’t be persecuted’.”

“So they’re happy with this news. And I think it was a big boost for them last night. They feel encouraged by that.”

Tensions are also rising over the large-scale release of Palestinian prisoners in the West Bank this week, as part of the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas.

The attack in al-Funduq was in an area where three Israelis were killed in a shooting earlier this month. It was the latest in a long series of settler attacks that have accelerated significantly since the start of the Gaza war.

According to the Israeli anti-settlement group, Peace Now, in 2024 settlers also established 59 new outposts without permission from the Israeli government. It was more than a doubling compared to the previous year – which was also a record year for the establishment of settlement outposts.

Israel has built around 160 settlements housing around 700,000 Jews since it occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Middle East war. The settlements are considered illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this – as did the previous Trump administration.