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A building on fire in the village of Deir Alla, Saturday. Published by Haaretz
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Days after settlers built an illegal outpost, dozens stormed the southern West Bank village, setting fire to buildings and threatening residents; the army detained suspects but failed to stop violence or prevent displacement

by Hagar Shezaf for Haaretz
Jul 26, 2025 5:14 pm IDT

Israeli settlers set fire to buildings in the Palestinian village of Deir Alla in the southern West Bank overnight Saturday, according to the Israeli military. Soldiers detained 12 suspects at the scene and transferred them to police custody.

In the wake of the attack, 17 families from the village decided to leave, with 14 fleeing on Saturday and three more expected to leave on Sunday.

Deir Alla is located in the southern Judean Desert, east of the Israeli settlement of Ma'ale Amos. On Wednesday, settlers arrived and established an illegal outpost in one of the village's structures. Residents notified the army, but the outpost was not dismantled.

According to villagers, an IDF force visited the area on Thursday but left after about 30 minutes. Later that night, between Thursday and Friday, roughly 30 settlers returned and attacked the community, vandalizing homes and threatening to burn them down unless the villagers left.

One resident told Haaretz that the village has been targeted multiple times in recent months. He said residents have been arrested on what he described as false charges and handed steep fines.

He also described a particularly violent incident before the arson: settlers hurled stones at his son, broke his fingers, injured his sheep, vandalized his car, and killed puppies.

Despite the residents' early reports to police on Wednesday, security forces arrived only on Saturday. "It's just revolting. This shouldn't be happening. I want to cry," he said.

The incident is the latest in a series of settler attacks that have escalated since the outbreak of the war on October 7. According to reports in Haaretz, earlier this month, hundreds of residents of the Bedouin village of Mu'arrajat near Jericho were forcibly displaced after years of settler harassment, violent incidents, and theft. Residents said that settlers established an outpost inside the village and vandalized homes, stealing around 60 animals.

A day before their expulsion, settlers told residents they had 48 hours to evacuate. The next morning, Israeli soldiers arrived, spoke with the settlers, and did nothing as the settlers interfered with the evacuation of Palestinian belongings.

Human rights groups and international organizations have reported widespread harassment, land grabs, and forced displacement of Palestinians, particularly in Area C of the West Bank, where Israel maintains complete civil and military control.