Israeli Forces Inspect Palestinian-American Home in West Bank After Settler Attack

Israeli security forces on Sunday inspected the home of a Palestinian-American man in the occupied West Bank village of Khirbet Abu Falah, after settlers arrived in the early hours, threw stones at the property and set vehicles on fire.

Israeli police said in a statement that an investigation had been opened, and that security personnel had arrived at the scene on Sunday to begin collecting findings, evidence and testimony.

The homeowner, Mustafa Eid Shukri, described the events of the night. "What happened to me tonight, sir—at home, my wife and I, we were watching what happened," he said. "We saw settlers entering from here and from there; that is exactly what I said from the very beginning. When they entered, we naturally started screaming, and people came; they (settlers) began by targeting one jeep, then another, and then the next."

Nazem Shoman, head of the Khirbet Abu Falah council, said settlers pelted the house with stones and attempted to force their way inside before setting vehicles on fire when they failed to enter.

Video from the scene showed shattered glass windows, glass shards and stones inside the house, and an American flag on the terrace, visible through a broken window. Israeli security was seen with Shoman next to burnt vehicles, and an Israeli soldier and vehicles were present at the village entrance. Footage also showed a view from the Jewish outpost of Netzach Shmuel toward the home.

Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have faced a wave of violence as Israel's hard-line government, dominated by settler leaders and supporters, has overseen a surge in settlement construction over the past four years. Such attacks have increased since the war in Gaza began with the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, according to the United Nations humanitarian office.

In July, the U.N. human rights office reported about 190 settler attacks per month in the first four months of 2026. The number of settler attacks in the occupied West Bank has risen each year since 2023, reaching 1,835 in 2025, according to the U.N. humanitarian aid office.

Israel captured the West Bank, along with Gaza and east Jerusalem, in the 1967 Mideast war — territories the Palestinians want for a future state. The U.N. and much of the international community consider them illegally occupied. Since then, Israel has built nearly 150 settlements home to well over 500,000 Jewish settlers, many resembling developed suburbs.

Israel's military operates throughout the West Bank, but rights groups have said it frequently turns a blind eye to settler violence. Settlers are Israeli citizens, and Israel's defense minister recently announced plans to fully transfer law enforcement among settlers to the Israeli police.