Occupied Jerusalem: Israeli occupation forces arrested six Palestinians on Thursday following an attack by settlers on them in Khallat al-Hummus area, south of Yatta in the Hebron Governorate of the occupied West Bank.
The Palestinian News Agency (WAFA) reported that a group of armed settlers attacked several Palestinians and blocked their path in Khallat al-Hummus area. Subsequently, occupation forces stormed the area, arrested six of the Palestinians, and detained others.
It added that another group of settlers, under the protection of occupation forces, attacked a Palestinian family and attempted to force its members out of a makeshift shelter they had erected after occupation forces demolished their home yesterday.
In Khirbet Janba, within Masafer Yatta area, settlers destroyed more than 50 olive trees belonging to a Palestinian after driving herds of livestock into local fields.
In Al-Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron, occupation forces set up a military checkpoint at the camp's entrance and stopped several Palestinians, according to WAFA.
These developments come amid escalating settler attacks in the West Bank. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) documented more than 1,600 settler attacks resulting in injuries or property damage between January and August 2026, an average of 6.7 attacks per day, compared to five attacks per day in 2025.
The office also noted that communities in Masafer Yatta have been subjected to repeated demolitions, settler attacks, and restrictions on access and movement.
