WASHINGTON — The Trump administration condemned violence in the West Bank after more than 100 Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian village and disrupted an Israeli military operation to return a displaced family to its home.
A State Department official told Axios reporter Barak Ravid Tuesday that the administration was aware of the overnight events in the village of Jalud and condemned the attack on Palestinian residents.
“We condemn criminal violence by any party in the West Bank and support appropriate investigations, legal accountability, and judicial processes for those responsible,” the official said.
The official added that the United States remains in regular contact with Israel about improving stability and security in the West Bank.
The statement came after Israeli settlers clashed with Israeli security forces as they attempted to escort the Tubasi family back to homes they had been unable to access for weeks. The confrontation left three Israeli security personnel injured and forced the family to leave the area again.
Settlers Block Family’s Return
The violence broke out as Israeli forces escorted Mahmoud Tubasi and his family back to their property in Jalud, south of Nablus.
The family had been displaced after weeks of harassment and attacks by settlers. An Israeli court had ruled that the family should be allowed to return to its homes.
Tubasi told The Associated Press that soldiers initially brought him to the property but that settlers later forced the family to leave in a military vehicle.
The Israeli military said more than 100 rioters were present in the village. It said they blocked roads, set tires on fire and threw stones at security forces.
The military said the operation to return the family “was not completed” because of the violence. Three officers were injured, according to the military.
Two homes belonging to the Tubasi family were also set on fire during the attack, according to Reuters. The family had been prevented from accessing the properties after settlers took control of them weeks earlier.
Israeli Officials Condemn West Bank Attack
The violence drew condemnation from senior Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Netanyahu condemned the attacks on security forces, calling on law enforcement “to prosecute the rioters to the fullest extent of the law”, while President Isaac Herzog described the violence as a serious attack on the rule of law and called for firm action by law enforcement.
Israeli police said they arrested three settlers suspected of taking part in the riot.
The military said the Palestinian family was protected during the confrontation and was eventually moved away from the area after the situation became too dangerous to complete the return operation.
Family Had Been Forced From Homes
The Tubasi family had left its homes after repeated harassment and attacks by settlers.
Mahmoud Tubasi said the family returned under the protection of Israeli forces after being told they could reclaim their property. By the time they arrived, the homes had already suffered extensive damage, according to accounts from the family and reports from the scene.
The Israeli court ruling that paved the way for the return had criticized authorities over their handling of settler violence, according to the BBC.
The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has documented repeated attacks affecting Palestinian homes, vehicles, farmland and essential infrastructure in recent months.
The Jalud incident comes as Israeli authorities face pressure to halt settler attacks and apply the law in the West Bank. Washington has repeatedly called for investigations and legal accountability.
