Israeli army abandons mission to return Palestinian family home after 100 settlers storm West Bank village and torch houses
From the Newshound archive · first published 29 September 2026 · last updated 30 September 2026.
More than 100 Israeli settlers descended on Jalud village in the occupied West Bank and set two Palestinian homes ablaze, forcing the Israeli military to abandon an escorted operation to return the al-Tubasi family to property seized by settlers weeks earlier. Mahmoud al-Tubasi, 60, said he genuinely believed settlers would kill him during the midnight raid. Three Israeli border police officers were injured as settlers blocked roads, burned tyres and hurled rocks at security forces. Israel's High Court had ruled earlier this month that the family must be allowed to return.
Wael al-Tubasi said his home was 'damaged beyond description' — doors, tiles, stairs, windows and bathrooms all smashed beyond use.
Netanyahu 'strongly condemned' the violence and called for perpetrators to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, but Israeli and Palestinian rights groups say settler perpetrators are rarely punished.
Extremist settlers had set up an illegal outpost near Jalud and besieged the family's properties for weeks before forcing them to flee this summer.