‘Now go and attack Amalek and totally destroy all that belongs to them. Do not spare them, but put to death all the men and women, the children and suckling infants, as well as their cattle, sheep, camels and donkeys…’ 1 Samuel 15:3
Times of Israel
Palestinian media aired footage of an Israeli settler repeatedly clubbing a dog to death during a raid on the village of Atara, near Ramallah, one of several settler attacks across the West Bank on Friday.
Residents said the dog, which served as a protector of the village in warning about approaching strangers, succumbed to its wounds from the attack shortly later.
The Haaretz daily confirmed the assailant was an Israeli and reported that he was one of several settlers who raided Atara.
Others grazed their livestock in between homes in order to harass the locals.
An illegal outpost was established on the lands of Atara last year. The outpost is located on Area B of the West Bank, which is supposed to be under Palestinian civil control, as no settlers are allowed to live there.
Haaretz said that residents of Atara living on lands adjacent to the outpost were expelled through a closed military zone order issued by the Israel Defense Forces, ostensibly to prevent clashes.
While the order has since expired, residents have refrained from returning to their homes due to fear of continued attacks by settlers, given that the outpost still stands.
The security cabinet earlier this year reportedly ordered the army to dismantle any illegal outpost built in Area B, though the directive has not been implemented. Wildcat settler communities in Area C — which is under both security and civil control of Israel — have been allowed to mushroom throughout the West Bank at unprecedented levels under the current government.
Separately Friday, the Palestinian Authority’s official WAFA news agency reported that settlers torched and vandalized several vehicles in the central West Bank Palestinian village of Shuqba.
Footage from the scene showed one of the targeted vehicles up in flames.
Also Friday, an armed Israeli settler was filmed standing over a bound and blindfolded Palestinian man in the outskirts of the central West Bank village of Bayt Iksa.
Palestinian media identified the man as a farmer who was trying to reach his land. A separate clip showed Israeli soldiers arriving at the scene after the bound man was dragged by the settler onto a nearby road.
And overnight, Palestinian media outlets reported that settlers set fire to a mosque and several vehicles in the village of Jibiya in the Ramallah area.
Graffiti was reportedly also sprayed on the mosque, including the phrase ‘For the liberation of Jerusalem’ — apparently in reference to Jerusalem Day.
There was no comment from the IDF on any of the incidents and there were no reports of arrests, which are highly rare, even though settler attacks occur on daily basis with near-total impunity.
Critics accuse the government of turning a blind eye to the violent attacks by settler extremists, which have become increasingly deadly in recent years. The military recorded 867 incidents of Jewish terrorist crime and settler violence in 2025, compared to 682 incidents in 2024.
The IDF has also faced criticism for often standing by while attacks unfold — with troops sometimes actively participating — or failing to prosecute those responsible.