Arabic version: تصاعد عنف المستوطنين في الضفة الغربية رغم سندات الملكية

In the Taybeh Junction area of the West Bank, the Mleihat compound faces increasing threats from settlers, despite holding an official land deed. Muhammad Mleihat, 57, describes how settlers have repeatedly cut through barbed wire to access his property, indicating a troubling trend of settler violence targeting Palestinian Bedouin communities.

According to Al Jazeera, Mleihat’s family has endured displacement since the 1948 Nakba and was driven from their previous home due to settler aggression. Now, they find themselves in a similar predicament, with settlers encroaching on their land in a region previously deemed secure under shared control.

Local reports suggest that the settlers, affiliated with Neria Ben Pazi, are employing aggressive tactics to displace Palestinian families. These include nighttime incursions, damaging crops, and using violence against residents. Activists have noted a surge in settler outposts, many of which are established in areas once thought to be protected by Palestinian civil authority.

Recent findings from Amnesty International support these accounts, alleging that Israel is conducting a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Palestinian communities. The report highlights significant displacements, with some 5,910 Palestinians forced from 117 communities between January 2023 and April 2026. Despite having legal land deeds, families like the Mleihats find themselves vulnerable to extra-legal tactics employed by settlers.

The Israeli military has recently restricted civilian access around the Taybeh Junction, yet reports suggest that these measures primarily target activists rather than settlers. This uneven enforcement raises concerns about the future of Palestinian communities in the area as settler violence continues unchecked.