Violence in the occupied West Bank has surged, with Israeli settlers conducting at least 264 attacks against Palestinians in October — a single-month high since the United Nations began recording such incidents nearly two decades ago.
A wave of attacks signals a dangerous new phase in the decades-long conflict, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, as the occupied territory sees rising instability despite diplomatic efforts toward easing regional tensions.
Record Levels of Violence in 2025
The U.N. said the attacks caused numerous casualties and widespread property damage, averaging eight violent incidents per day throughout October. “Since 2006, OCHA has documented over 9,600 settler attacks,” the agency observed in its statement. “About 1,500 of them took place just this year — roughly 15 percent of the total since records began.”
This surge represents the worst month on record and one of the most violent years in recent memory for Palestinians in the West Bank.
The West Bank: A Flashpoint for Future Statehood
It is home to 2.7 million Palestinians and has remained central to international discussions on a two-state solution – the vision of an independent Palestinian state existing alongside Israel.
Nevertheless, successive Israeli governments have continued to expand the settlements in the area. These communities, which are home to more than 500,000 Israeli settlers, are widely regarded as illegal under international law by the United Nations, the European Union, and most of the rest of the world. Israel rejects such an interpretation, citing historical and security claims to the land.
The fast pace of settlement growth has fragmented Palestinian territory, making statehood increasingly unattainable and fuelling bitterness on both sides.
Rising Civilian Toll — Including Children
The humanitarian toll is mounting, too. OCHA confirmed that 42 Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank so far in 2025.
“That means one in every five Palestinians killed by Israeli forces this year has been a child,” the agency stressed. Human rights groups have warned that such statistics demonstrate how protection for civilians is deteriorating amid an increase in hostilities.
Calls to the Israeli mission to the United Nations seeking comment on the report were not immediately returned.
A Ceasefire Overshadowed by Violence
The uptick in West Bank violence comes despite a U.S.-brokered ceasefire in Gaza this October that temporarily cooled the war there and returned hostages. But though the truce has ushered in relative calm in the Gaza Strip, it appears to have done little for the West Bank, where clashes and settler violence keep intensifying.
According to diplomatic observers, the disconnect between the dynamics in Gaza and West Bank speaks to the increasingly fragile peace efforts. “The West Bank is becoming the new epicenter of tension,” one Middle East analyst told Reuters. “Even as international attention shifts to Gaza, conditions in the West Bank are quietly deteriorating.”
International Community Raises Alarm
The UN and humanitarian partners are calling for urgent restraint and accountability to avert further escalation. OCHA has called on Israel to respect its obligations under international law, including the duty to protect civilians in occupied territories.
Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department and the European Union have expressed “deep concern” over the recent rise in settler violence. There are growing demands for independent investigations into the attacks and for renewed diplomatic engagement to stop the crisis from spiraling further.
A Growing Crisis Without an End in Sight
As violence spreads and tensions deepen, humanitarian agencies warn that 2025 could become one of the deadliest years in the West Bank in nearly two decades. While international attention remains focused on the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, a record number of settler attacks underlines an increasingly volatile reality on the ground: decades of occupation, settlement expansion, and political paralysis continue to feed a dangerous cycle of retaliation and despair.
