Settlement & Annexation Report: July 3, 2025

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July 3, 2025

  1. Violence, Anarchy in Northern West Bank as Outpost Settlers Reign Terror on Palestinians & Israeli Forces
  2. Israel Orders Mass Forced Displacement of 12 Villages in Masafer Yatta
  3. Israel Keeps Foot on Gas with West Bank Settlement Expansion
  4. Israeli Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Settlers on Key, Precedent-Setting Eviction Case in Batan al-Hawa, East Jerusalem
  5. Israel Initiates Efforts to Displace Palestinians from Additional Areas in East Jerusalem
  6. Netanyahu Urged to Push Annexation As Part of Gaza Talks in Washington
  7. (More) West Bank Settlement & Annexation News
  8. U.S. Politics
  9. New Reports

Violence, Anarchy in Northern West Bank as Outpost Settlers Reign Terror on Palestinians & Israeli Forces

On Wednesday, June 25th, an armed, organized group of about 70 settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Kfar Malik, located in the Ramallah area. The settler threw molotov cocktails at cars and inside homes, and inflicted widespread damage throughout the town. Responding to the incident, IDF troops arrived and shot at the Palestinians who began throwing stones at the settlers, killing three Palestinians and injuring nine. The IDF alleges that the Palestinians shot at troops first, though this is not corroborated by residents who witnessed the events. Five settlers were arrested but quickly released.

The attack on Kfar Malik led to a serious confrontation between the settlers and the IDF, with the settlers raging over the fact a soldier shot at and slightly injured a young settler who had been participating in the mob.

  • June 25th: Following the settlers’ attack on Kfar Malik, the IDF dismantled the nearby outpost, where the settlers who attacked Kfar Malik are believed to have been residing, and declared the area a closed military zone.
  • June 27-28: On the evening of June 27th into the early morning hours of the 28th – settlers gathered in the area of the recently-dismantlyed outpost (either in an attempt to reestablish the outpost, or stage another raid into Kfar Malik). When IDF troops arrived to disperse the settlers, the settlers violently rioted against the IDF for hours. Throwing stones, choking and beating senior military officers, attempting to ram a car into security forces, slashing tires and causing damage to army equipment. Settlers allege that IDF troops fired sponge-tipped bullets and lightly injured a 14-year old settler (the IDF has said there were no shots fired and the youth was injured in a separate incident detailed below). The riot continued to escalate overnight. Six settlers were arrested following these events.
  • June 27-28: 10-20 masked settlers attacked an Israeli military jeep by throwing rocks from a hill – in an area 3.5miles from the riot. An officer exited the vehicle and shot three times into the air.
  • June 30: Masked settlers set fire to a police station at the Beit El settlement, tagging the site with spray paint indicating it was in response to injury of the 14-year old settler days before. 
  • June 30: The IDF razed 5 outposts, including the Har Hatzor, Metzad, Mikne Avraham, Bat Ayin, another close to the Shiloh settlement.

Netanyahu and the Yesha Council issued statements condemning the settlers violence against Israeli troops (not, though, against the Palestinians in Kfar Malik), but also trying to distance this from the nature of the settlement enterprise. Netanyahu said:

“The settler community is a model and an example of developing the land, meaningful service in the IDF, and contributing to the cultivation of Torah scholars. We will not allow a violent and fanatic few to tarnish an entire community.”

On Monday July 1st, Defense Minister Katz convened an emergency meeting with top sercurity officials, resulting in the creation of a new task force to look into settler violence against the IDF. Katz also announced new funding for a program that aims at integrating extremist settler youth into mainstream education programs. Katz did not mention violence against Palestinians.

Israel Orders Mass Forced Displacement of 12 Villages in Massafer Yatta

B’Tselem reports that on June 18th the Israeli Army’s Central Command issued a directive declaring a “security need” to train troops in the Massafer Yatta area, a directive that was quickly followed by the Civil Administration’s dismissal of all legal petitions that Palestinians living there have submitted against previous displacement efforts. These moves pave the way for the mass and immediate demolition of 12 villages located in Firing Zone 918 “using the full range of civilian and security tools at [the army’s] disposal,” according to the directive.  

B’Tselem Executive Director Yuli Novak said: 

“Israel’s onslaught on the Palestinian people has reached such a level of unbridled violence and disregard for international law, that no domestic mechanism can or will stop it. Only immediate, firm action by the international community can stop the expulsion from Masafer Yatta.” 

For background on Firing Zone 918, see:

Israel Keeps Foot on Gas with West Bank Settlement Expansion

Peace Now reports the following recent developments expanding and entrenching Israeli settlements in the West Bank:

  • On June 10th, the Israeli Knesset was scheduled to approve a huge investment in the cellular network in the West Bank in order to improve cell service primarily for settlers.
  • On June 12th, Peace Now heard reports that the Civil Administration had declared a huge swath of land around an illegal outpost to be “state land,” which would be a significant step towards granting the outpost retroactive legalization. The outpost is called “Malachei HaShaolom and is located between Ramallah and Nablus.
  • The High Planning Council met on June 18th to discuss and advance plans that would grant retroactive legalization to 347 illegally-built units in the Palegi Mayim outpost, as well as plans for 82 new units in the Givat Zeev settlement.
  • On June 24th the Civil Administration granted a building permit for construction projects near a train station building in Sebastia. Peace Now explains: “Transforming the train station into a tourist site is part of the Israeli government’s broader plan to increase its presence in the densely populated Palestinian areas between Nablus and Jenin.”
  • On July 1st, the Higher Planning Council met to discuss plans for 267 new settlements. This batch of plans includes a first-of-its kind plan to expand a settlement across the Seperation Barrier. The settlement, Ganei Modii’n, is currently and entirely located in the seam zone but on the Israeli side of the Separation Barrier; the new plan will expand the settlement on the other side of it.

Israeli Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Settlers on Key, Precedent-Setting Eviction Case in Batan al-Hawa, East Jerusalem

The Israeli Supreme court has ruled in favor of the Ateret Cohanim settler organization’s claim to own the land in the Batan al-Hawa section of Silwan on which the Odeh and Shweiki families live, paving the way for their immediate displacement. The Supreme Court issued its ruling despite failing to receive a submission from the State of Israel stating its legal position on the underlying legal facts – – a submission the Court had been waiting on for more than a year.

The Court’s ruling accepts settlers’ claim to own the land on which the Palestinians’ homes are located, homes which the Court recognized were legally purchased by Palestinians in the 1960s. Regardless of the validity of the home ownership, the Court recognized the settler’s ownership of the land under a discriminatory Israeli law that allows Jews to “reclaim” property and land that was owned by Jews prior to 1948. This law is being used by settlers to achieve mass displacement of Palestinians across East Jerusalem.

Peace Now said in a statement: 

“This is an injustice and a crime against a vulnerable population living under occupation in East Jerusalem. The dispossession of Palestinians from their homes in Silwan, enabled by the application of the Jewish ‘right of return,’ represents an indelible stain on the State of Israel. The Israeli judicial system has failed to protect the fundamental rights of Palestinians to their homes, effectively endorsing the racist and messianic policies of the current Israeli government. A responsible government would halt the forced expulsions of this community. Tragically, our government demonstrates anything but responsibility in any regard. The International Court of Justice has explicitly addressed the discriminatory legal framework and Israel’s settlement policy in East Jerusalem in its advisory opinion, declaring these practices a violation of international law.”

Israel Initiates Efforts to Displace Palestinians from Additional Areas in East Jerusalem

Ir Amim reports that Israeli authorities are ramping up efforts to forcibly displace Palestinian residents from three East Jerusalem neighborhoods, two of which have not been targeted for demolition/eviction campaigns before now.

Ir Amim reports on the bureaucratic advancement of displacement efforts over the past month:  

  • Nu’man – On June 10, the Jerusalem municipality’s building enforcement unit distributed notices to all the homes in the small village of Nu’man, alleging that they were built illegally and demanding that their owners demolish them immediately. Around 150 residents are at risk of displacement as a result.  
  • Umm Tuba – On June 11, the Israel Land Authority (ILA) issued notices to 18 homes (containing 35 housing units) in Umm Tuba, claiming that they were built on land belonging to the Jewish National Fund and demanding that the families vacate their properties within 30 days. 150 people are now at risk of being uprooted from their homes and lands.
  • Batan al-Hawa, Silwan – On June 16, the Israeli Supreme Court rejected the request of three families to file an appeal against their pending eviction from their homes and ruled in favor of the Ateret Cohanim settler group. 19 people are now under immediate threat of eviction.  

Netanyahu Urged to Push Annexation As Part of Gaza Talks in Washington

Every member of the Likud Party signed on to a letter to Prime Minister Netanyahu urging him to press President Trump for his full support for Israel’s unilateral annexation of the entire West Bank.

Smotrich said in response to the letter from the ruling Likud Party:

“The true answer to the enemies of the State of Israel is sovereignty. I congratulate the Likud ministers and commit to the prime minister: on the day he gives the order—the Settlement Administration under my leadership—is ready in practice to implement the application of sovereignty immediately. Mr. Prime Minister—Am Yisrael is ready!”

(More) West Bank Settlement & Annexation News

U.S. Politics

New Reports