Violence Erupts in Kafr Malik as Settlers Ignite Tensions

Last week, the peaceful village of Kafr Malik in the West Bank faced chaos as masked Israeli settlers assaulted the community, setting homes ablaze and exacerbating ongoing tensions in the region.

As dusk fell over Kafr Malik, a tranquil Palestinian village in the occupied West Bank, the serenity was abruptly disturbed by a sudden invasion. Local witnesses described how a crowd of masked Israeli settlers entered the village, arriving on foot and in vehicles. Residents, including a mother trying to lull her newborn to sleep in the Afeef family home nearby, quickly found their night transformed into a nightmare.

According to local accounts, the assailants unleashed a wave of violence, launching Molotov cocktails and igniting multiple homes and cars. The Israeli military later confirmed that a group of Israeli civilians was responsible for the destruction of Palestinian property in the area. The turmoil in Kafr Malik is the latest escalation in a troubling pattern of settler violence, with attacks on Palestinian communities in the West Bank soaring to unprecedented levels this year.

The United Nations reported that over 220 Palestinians have been injured due to settler assaults in the first half of 2025 alone, marking the highest incident rate seen in years. A Palestinian man was also killed in a separate attack on June 19. As tensions rise, many residents expressed their fears for safety and their frustration over the increasing assaults on their homes.

Reports indicated that homes in Kafr Malik bore the scars of the violence, with one resident, Shireen Said, recounting the damage inflicted on her property. In chaotic scenes, Hebrew graffiti appeared on some walls, inscribed with disturbing words like "vengeance," as the community grapples with the repercussions of the violence. The atmosphere in Kafr Malik remains tense as fears mount about future attacks and the ongoing struggle for peaceful coexistence in the region.