Israeli settlers burn Palestinian homes and property in West Bank town

Middle East Eye

13 hours ago

Israeli settlers set fire to several Palestinian properties and injuring dozens of residents in the occupied West Bank town of Deir Dibwan, east of Ramallah, on Wednesday evening.
Dozens of settlers carried out the widespread attack, which residents have described as a "holocaust".
Medical sources in the town said that at least 30 Palestinians were wounded, most suffering head wounds caused by settlers throwing stones and beating them with sticks. Additionally, dozens of others experienced choking due to smoke from the fires.
Settlers burned at least seven homes, 10 vehicles, sheep pens, and a horse stable, according to local media.
The Israeli army arrived more than an hour after the settlers set fire to Palestinian property and prevented residents from approaching or extinguishing the flames, which allowed the fires to spread further.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters
Ahmed Jaber, a resident of the Deir Dibwan, told Middle East Eye that at 6pm on Wednesday, 80 settlers entered the outskirts of the town via the settlement road known as Route 60. They immediately set fire to a building that was home to around 45 people, and also torched nearby vehicles and a horse stable belonging to their neighbours.
The settlers then moved to another area, setting fire to vehicles along the way and assaulting anyone who tried to confront them.
'One resident, who suffers from chronic illnesses, sustained a facial fracture after being assaulted by the settlers. He was left bleeding until he was eventually taken to a medical centre,' Jaber said.
On Wednsday, Israeli settlers attacked the town of Deir Dibwan in the occupied West Bank, east of Ramallah, and burned Palestinian owned homes and vehicles.
According to the official Palestinian news agency, dozens of settlers attacked homes in the town belonging to the Abu Kaid… pic.twitter.com/3xXxHaDO7V — Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) June 4, 2025
Jaber added that an ambulance attempted to transport two wounded people to the government hospital in Ramallah, but the road was blocked by an Israeli military barrier. The ambulance was then forced to return to the town, where paramedics attempted to provide first aid.
"The Israeli army stood on the settlement road, watching from a distance as everything unfolded and what we were being subjected to. After about an hour, they entered Deir Dibwan and prevented residents from extinguishing the fires," Jaber said.
Residents rushed to save their livestock, but several animals were killed in the flames. A livestock feed store, a truck, and several barns were also destroyed.
"The scene was unlike anything we've experienced before. Settlers have attacked the town in the past, but this was the most violent attack. We watched as property was reduced to ashes," he added.
Israeli land theft
Deir Dibwan has been constantly subjected to attacks by settlers in recent years, who have seized vast swaths of its land.
The attacks have escalated since the current Israeli government, the most far-right in Israel's history, came to power in late 2022. The government then issued a decision to confiscate around 14,000 dunams of the town's land for military purposes.
Israel to take full control of land registry in West Bank's Area C, cementing annexation Read More »
The town's mayor, Imad Musabbeh, said that settler groups began targeting Deir Dibwan's land in April 2023, prior to the start of the war on Gaza. Since then, settlers have established four pastoral outposts and seized hundreds of dunams.
More than 80 percent of Deir Dibwan's land has been confiscated, either through military decrees or settler attacks.
"The settlers are preventing us from accessing our pastures and are seizing every area their cows and sheep can reach, under the full protection of the Israeli army," he told MEE.
The town's residents can no longer graze their livestock anywhere but in their own yards - the only areas still accessible to them.
Deir Dibwan is one of the leading Palestinian towns for livestock raising, the main source of income for its residents.
However, this livelihood is now under threat due to a lack of grazing land and the continued targeting of residents by settlers through theft and violence.
"We went to the Israeli courts several times and tried to stop the confiscation orders, but it seems they are political, not military. The goal is to seize as much of the town's land as possible and confine us to our homes. We have nothing left," the mayor said.