Over 1,180 arson attacks recorded in occupied West Bank

The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission on Wednesday documented 1,182 arson attacks by Israeli forces and occupiers targeting Palestinian property and land in the occupied West Bank — including East Jerusalem — between Oct. 7, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2026. The commission said 809 attacks targeted property, vehicles and facilities, while 373 others affected agricultural land, with Ramallah and al-Bireh recording 376 incidents and Nablus seeing 335.

Geographic concentration

The central West Bank governorates of Ramallah and Nablus alone accounted for 711 attacks, comprising 60.2 percent of the total, while the remaining incidents were scattered across Hebron with 112; Jenin with 73; Bethlehem with 64; Tulkarem with 61; Salfit with 44; Qalqilya with 39; Jerusalem with 32; Tubas with 29; and Jericho with 17. The commission noted that Israeli forces bear responsibility not only for direct attacks but also for protecting occupiers and obstructing emergency crews from reaching targeted areas.

Latest violence in Lubban al-Sharqiya

Israeli occupiers early Wednesday set fire to more than 100 vehicles at a collection lot in Lubban al-Sharqiya, south of Nablus, causing flames to spread to dozens of olive trees, warehouses and streetlights, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA. The head of the village council estimated initial losses at more than 1 million Israeli shekels, while the blaze cut electricity to the area and caused residents to suffer smoke inhalation. The commission said the village was previously targeted on April 6, 2026, when occupiers burned a house, two tents and three vehicles and assaulted residents.

UN documents record surge

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs documented 457 attacks by Israeli occupiers in the West Bank in October, marking the highest monthly figure since the body began recording such incidents in 2006. The occupied West Bank has witnessed an escalation in Israeli army raids and occupier violence, including killings, arrests, home demolitions, land leveling and seizures, alongside the expansion of Israeli settlements.