Arab News | Israeli settlers damage homes, cut utilities in Palestinian community near Ramallah

LONDON: Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian Kaabneh community near the village of Taybeh, east of Ramallah, on Sunday evening, damaging homes and property, cutting off utilities and stealing cash, local sources said.

The attackers smashed windows at several homes, vandalized a vehicle and stole about 3,000 shekels, or about $800, from one residence, the sources told the Palestinian news agency WAFA.

They also cut water and electricity supplies to the community, leaving families confined to their homes, the sources said.

The assault was the latest in more than a month of reported harassment and attacks against Kaabneh residents and their property. Residents said the repeated incidents had restricted their movement and worsened already difficult living conditions.

They said they were living in fear and called for protection and an end to violence targeting their community and property.

Settler attacks across the occupied West Bank have intensified since Oct. 7, 2023, when Israel launched its military campaign in the Gaza Strip after a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel.

The violence has also spread geographically, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

The agency said in its Sept. 18 Humanitarian Situation report that 275 Palestinian communities had been affected by settler attacks so far in 2026, nearly matching the 279 communities affected during all of 2025 — the highest annual total recorded since 2006.