Israeli Settler Violence and Journalist Killings

Documentation of settler violence in the occupied territories, the Cave of the Patriarchs massacre, and the killing of journalists.

Cave of the Patriarchs Massacre (1994) – Hebron

One of the deadliest attacks on Palestinian civilians, carried out by an Israeli settler during Ramadan prayers.

The Attack

Date: February 25, 1994 (15th day of Ramadan, also the Jewish holiday of Purim)

Location: Ibrahimi Mosque (Cave of the Patriarchs), Hebron, occupied West Bank

Time: Approximately 5:00-5:30 AM during Fajr (dawn) prayers

Events: – Baruch Goldstein, wearing his Israeli military reserve uniform, entered the mosque – Opened fire with an IMI Galil assault rifle on approximately 800 Palestinian worshippers – Fired over 100 rounds into the crowded prayer hall – Attack lasted several minutes – Goldstein was eventually overpowered and beaten to death by survivors

Casualties: – 29 Palestinians killed inside the mosque – 125 wounded – Victims included children as young as 12 years old – 6 of the dead were children aged 14 or younger

The Perpetrator: Baruch Goldstein

Background: – Born 1956 in Brooklyn, New York to an Orthodox Jewish family – American-Israeli physician – Emigrated to Israel in 1983 – Served as a physician in the Israel Defense Forces – Lived in Kiryat Arba settlement adjacent to Hebron

Extremist affiliations: – Member of the Jewish Defense League (JDL) in the United States – Close associate of Rabbi Meir Kahane (JDL/Kach founder) – Active member of the Kach party – Third on Kach party list for Knesset in 1984 elections – Kach was banned from Israeli elections in 1988 for racism

Known views: – Refused to treat Arab patients as an IDF doctor – Advocated for expulsion of Arabs from Israel – Celebrated violence against Palestinians

Immediate Aftermath

Curfew on Palestinians: – Israeli government imposed a two-week curfew on 120,000 Palestinian residents of Hebron – The 400 Jewish settlers in Hebron were free to move around – Victims punished rather than perpetrators' community

Secondary violence: – Mass protests erupted across the West Bank and Gaza – Israeli military killed 20-26 more Palestinians in clashes following the massacre – 9 Israelis also killed in subsequent violence – 120+ Palestinians injured in confrontations with IDF

Kach banned: – Israeli government banned Kach party less than one month after the massacre – Designated as a terrorist organization by Israel, United States, and European Union

Shamgar Commission Investigation

The Israeli government appointed a commission of inquiry headed by Supreme Court President Meir Shamgar.

Findings: – Goldstein acted alone with no accomplices – Security coordination between IDF, police, and Civil Administration was “problematic” – Political leadership and security forces “could not have been expected to predict” the massacre

Controversies: – Commission found no negligence by government officials or senior officers – Survivor testimony about IDF assistance and grenade use was dismissed as “contradictory” – Critics noted Shamgar's record of “leniency toward settlers” – No accountability for security failures

Long-term Consequences for Hebron

Shuhada Street closure: – 1996: Main commercial street (Al-Shuhada Street) closed to Palestinian traffic – Later sections declared complete no-go zones for Palestinians – Palestinian shop owners barred from their own businesses – Approximately 1,800 shops in Old City closed – 530 shops closed by direct Israeli military order

Ongoing restrictions: – Palestinians banned from certain streets where they own homes – Some Palestinian families must enter homes through back doors, alleys, or ladders – Israeli settlers and tourists have exclusive access to formerly Palestinian areas – City center transformed into “ghost town”

Division of Hebron: – City divided into H1 (Palestinian Authority control) and H2 (Israeli control) – Approximately 40,000 Palestinians in H2 live under severe restrictions – Few hundred settlers protected by thousands of IDF soldiers

Goldstein's Grave and Shrine

Initial memorial: – Goldstein buried in Kiryat Arba, opposite Meir Kahane Memorial Park – Grave became pilgrimage site for Jewish extremists – Tombstone inscription: “He gave his life for the people of Israel, its Torah and land” – Thousands visited to honor him

Shrine dismantled: – 1999: Israeli legislation passed outlawing monuments to terrorists – Israeli Army dismantled the shrine structure – Grave itself remains – Site still visited by extremists

UN Response

Security Council Resolution 904 (March 18, 1994): – Adopted without a vote – Condemned the massacre – Called for measures to protect Palestinian civilians – Called for disarming Israeli settlers – Led to creation of Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH)

TIPH: – International observer mission established 1997 – Monitored situation in Hebron for over 20 years – Israel terminated TIPH mandate in January 2019 – Netanyahu called observers “an international force acting against us”

Legacy

Settler Violence in the Occupied Territories

Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank have engaged in systematic violence against Palestinian civilians for decades. This violence has escalated dramatically since 2023, with international organizations documenting what they describe as a campaign of ethnic cleansing in parts of the West Bank.

Scale and Scope

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) data:

Year Settler attacks recorded Notes
2019 341 Pre-COVID baseline
2020 358 Pandemic year
2021 496 Significant increase
2022 849 Record at the time
2023 1,229 Massive escalation post-October 7
2024 1,400+ Continued escalation

Post-October 7, 2023 surge: – Violence increased by over 150% compared to previous year – Average of 3-4 attacks per day – UN documented settler attacks in which Israeli forces participated or provided cover

Types of Violence

Physical Attacks

Documented incidents include: – Shootings (often fatal) – Beatings – Stonings – Stabbings – Vehicle rammings – Arson attacks on homes (often while families inside) – Attacks on farmers and shepherds

Casualties (October 2023 – December 2024): – 50+ Palestinians killed by settlers – Hundreds injured – Many attacks occurred with IDF soldiers present

Property Destruction

Agricultural destruction: – Olive tree uprooting (estimated 800,000+ trees destroyed since 1967) – Burning of crops and farmland – Destruction of irrigation systems – Poisoning of wells and water sources – Killing of livestock

Significance of olive trees: – Olive cultivation central to Palestinian economy and culture – Trees take 15-20 years to mature – Destruction constitutes long-term economic warfare – Often occurs during harvest season

Structural destruction: – Homes set on fire – Vehicles torched – Shops and businesses vandalized – Mosques and churches attacked – Schools damaged – Water tanks destroyed

“Price Tag” Attacks

A specific form of settler terrorism involving revenge attacks on Palestinians and their property.

The concept: – Settlers exact a “price” for any Israeli government action they oppose – Also used as retaliation for Palestinian resistance – Targets include Palestinian civilians, property, mosques, churches – Sometimes targets Israeli military or police property

Typical attacks: – Graffiti with racist slogans (“Death to Arabs,” “Revenge”) – Vehicle arsons – Crop and tree destruction – Physical assaults – Mosque burnings

Israeli designation: – Israeli security services classified “price tag” as terrorism in 2013 – Prosecutions remain extremely rare – Violence has continued and escalated despite designation

Major Incidents

Duma Arson Attack (July 31, 2015)

The attack: – Settlers firebombed Palestinian home in Duma village at 4 AM – Dawabsheh family trapped inside burning home – Hebrew graffiti sprayed on walls: “Revenge” and “Long live the Messiah”

Casualties: – Ali Dawabsheh (18 months old) – burned to death – Saad Dawabsheh (father) – died of burns weeks later – Riham Dawabsheh (mother) – died of burns weeks later – Ahmad Dawabsheh (4 years old) – sole survivor, severely burned

Aftermath: – International condemnation – Netanyahu called it “terrorism” – One settler (Amiram Ben-Uliel) eventually convicted in 2020 – Sentenced to life imprisonment (rare accountability) – Other suspects released

Huwara Pogrom (February 26, 2023)

One of the largest organized settler attacks in recent history.

Context: – Two Israeli settlers killed by Palestinian gunman near Huwara earlier that day – Settlers from surrounding settlements mobilized for revenge

The attack: – Hundreds of settlers descended on Palestinian town of Huwara – Rampage lasted several hours (approximately 7 PM to midnight) – Israeli soldiers present but largely did not intervene – Some soldiers documented joining settlers

Destruction: – Approximately 100 homes and vehicles set on fire – 35+ homes burned – 100+ cars torched – Shops and businesses destroyed – One Palestinian (Sameh Aqtash, 37) killed – Nearly 400 Palestinians injured

Eyewitness accounts: – Families trapped in burning homes – Settlers firing guns at homes – IDF soldiers standing by or participating – Fire services blocked from entering

Official responses: – Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich called for Huwara to be “wiped out” – Later claimed he meant by the state, not vigilantes – Smotrich is himself a settler – Army commander called it a “pogrom” – No mass arrests; few prosecutions

Turmus Ayya Attack (June 21, 2023)

The attack: – Settlers invaded Palestinian village – Set fire to homes and vehicles – One Palestinian killed (Omar Qatin) – Over 30 homes and 60 vehicles burned – Attack lasted hours

Notable aspects: – Village home to many Palestinian-Americans – US State Department issued rare criticism – Biden administration described as “horrified”

Jit Pogrom (August 15, 2024)

The attack: – Approximately 100 masked settlers attacked village of Jit – Set fire to homes and cars – One Palestinian killed, another critically wounded – Settlers threw Molotov cocktails at homes with families inside – Attack lasted over an hour

Response: – Rare condemnation from Netanyahu (under international pressure) – US and UK condemned attack – Minor arrests; most suspects released quickly

Ongoing Violence (2024-2025)

Documented patterns: – Daily attacks across the West Bank – Coordinated raids on multiple villages simultaneously – Armed settlers operating alongside or with IDF forces – Forced displacement of Palestinian Bedouin communities – Seizure of land during and after attacks

Displacement: – At least 19 Palestinian communities (over 1,400 people) displaced since October 2023 – Displacement driven by settler violence combined with Israeli military actions – UN describes as forced transfer (potential war crime)

Settler Militias and Armed Groups

Arming of settlers: – National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir distributed thousands of weapons to settlers post-October 2023 – Settler “security teams” operate with military-style weapons – Rapid expansion of armed civilian forces in settlements

Known groups: – Hilltop Youth (ideological extremists) – La Familia (ultranationalist group linked to football hooliganism) – Various settlement security squads

Characteristics: – Often masked during attacks – Military-grade weapons – Coordination via social media – Some members have IDF training – Overlap with religious nationalist movements

IDF Involvement and Complicity

Documented patterns:

Active participation: – Soldiers documented joining settler attacks – Video evidence of soldiers and settlers attacking together – Soldiers providing weapons to settlers during attacks

Passive facilitation: – Soldiers present but not intervening – Blocking Palestinian escape routes during attacks – Preventing Palestinian civil defense – Blocking ambulances and fire services

Coordination: – Settlers and soldiers operating in joint “operations” – Settlers informed in advance of military activities – Settlers using IDF infrastructure and communications

Lack of protection: – Palestinians legally entitled to IDF protection under occupation law – IDF routinely fails to protect Palestinian civilians – Often arrives after attacks conclude – Protects settlers during and after attacks

Two legal systems: – Israeli civilians (settlers) under Israeli civil law – Palestinians under Israeli military law – Vast disparity in rights and protections

Prosecution rates:

Israeli human rights organization Yesh Din data: – 93% of complaints by Palestinians against settlers closed without indictment – Only 3% of investigations result in conviction – Most investigations closed due to “perpetrator unknown” despite witnesses

Barriers to justice: – Palestinians must file complaints at settlements or Israeli police stations – Language barriers (Hebrew required) – Physical danger in traveling to file complaints – Witnesses face intimidation – Low priority for Israeli police

Administrative detention: – Israel uses administrative detention (imprisonment without charge) extensively against Palestinians – Rarely if ever used against settlers – Palestinians held for months/years without trial; settlers released quickly

International Response

United States: – Biden administration imposed sanctions on specific settlers (February 2024) – First-ever US sanctions on Israeli settlers – Expanded to additional settlers in subsequent months – Criticized as insufficient by human rights groups – Does not affect government policy or military aid

European Union: – EU imposed sanctions on settlers and entities (2024) – Asset freezes and travel bans – Several EU states imposed bilateral sanctions

United Kingdom: – UK imposed sanctions on settler outposts and individuals (2024) – Condemned violence repeatedly

United Nations: – Repeated condemnations – Human Rights Council reports documenting violence – Calls for accountability ignored – Special Rapporteur described “apartheid” conditions

Government Support for Settlers

Current Israeli government (2023-present): – Most pro-settler government in Israeli history – Settler leaders hold key cabinet positions: – Bezalel Smotrich (Finance Minister) – settler, advocates annexation – Itamar Ben-Gvir (National Security Minister) – convicted of supporting terrorism, Kahanist – Government legalized previously illegal outposts – Massive expansion of settlement construction – Transfer of West Bank authority to pro-settler officials

Policy changes: – Weakening of already-limited constraints on settlers – Accelerated land seizures – Expanded weapons distribution – Reduced oversight of settler violence – Ministers publicly supporting aggressive settler actions

Connection to Displacement and Annexation

Strategic function of violence: – Violence serves to drive Palestinians from land – Enables de facto annexation – Creates “facts on the ground” – Makes two-state solution impossible

Area C (Israeli-controlled West Bank): – 60% of West Bank under full Israeli control – Settler violence concentrated here – Palestinian communities systematically displaced – Land then seized for settlement expansion

UN and human rights assessments: – Violence described as component of systematic dispossession – Meets definitions of forced transfer under international law – Part of broader apartheid system (Amnesty, HRW, B'Tselem)

Historical Context

Settler violence has occurred throughout occupation (1967-present): – Jewish Underground (1980s) – planned to bomb Dome of the Rock – Kach movement terrorism – Cave of the Patriarchs massacre (1994) – Ongoing low-level violence since 1967 – Recent years show dramatic escalation

Population growth: – 1967: Zero settlers in West Bank – 1977: ~5,000 settlers – 1993 (Oslo): ~110,000 settlers – 2000: ~200,000 settlers – 2010: ~300,000 settlers – 2024: ~700,000+ settlers (including East Jerusalem)

Correlation: – Violence has increased alongside settler population – Most radical settlements often newest (hilltop outposts) – Government has legitimized previously illegal outposts

Killing of Journalists

Israel has killed more journalists than any other country in modern history. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has documented a pattern of lethal force against media workers with zero accountability.

Overall Statistics

Total journalists killed by Israel (as of August 2025): Up to 274, with 269 Palestinian

Period Killed Notes
2001-2022 ~20 CPJ documented; no accountability
Oct-Dec 2023 78 First 3 months of Gaza war
2024 85+ Deadliest year for journalists in CPJ history
2025 (to Aug) 90+ Ongoing

Confirmed targeted murders: 64 (CPJ determination of deliberate killings)

Global Context

2024: Nearly 70% of all journalists killed worldwide were killed by Israel

2023: 75% of all journalists killed globally died in Israel's war on Gaza

Historical comparison: The Gaza war (2023-present) has killed more journalists than: – U.S. Civil War – World War I – World War II – Korean War – Vietnam War – Yugoslav Wars (1990s-2000s) – Afghanistan War (post-9/11)

...combined.

This makes it the deadliest conflict for journalists in recorded history.

Notable Cases Before October 2023

Year Name Outlet Location Details
2000 Mohammed al-Bishawi Freelance West Bank Shot during Second Intifada
2002 Imad Abu Zahra Freelance Jenin Shot by IDF
2003 James Miller British filmmaker Rafah, Gaza Shot while filming documentary
2003 Nazeh Darwazeh AP cameraman Nablus Shot in head while filming
2008 Fadel Shana'a Reuters cameraman Gaza Tank fired flechette shell; 8 bystanders also killed (most under 16)
2008 Omar Silawi Cameraman Gaza Killed during Cast Lead operation
2012 Mahmoud al-Kumi Al-Aqsa TV Gaza Car struck by Israeli missile
2012 Hussam Salama Al-Aqsa TV Gaza Killed alongside al-Kumi
2014 Hamid Shihab Media24 Gaza Vehicle struck by missile
2018 Yaser Murtaja Ain Media Gaza Shot while covering Great March of Return protests; wearing PRESS vest
2018 Ahmed Abu Hussein Voice of Palestine Gaza Shot covering protests; died of wounds
2022 Shireen Abu Akleh Al Jazeera Jenin Shot in head while wearing press vest (see below)

Shireen Abu Akleh Case (May 11, 2022)

The killing of veteran Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh drew international attention to Israel's treatment of journalists.

The journalist: – Palestinian-American citizen (dual nationality) – 51 years old – 25-year veteran of Al Jazeera – One of the most recognized faces in Arab journalism – Covered Israeli-Palestinian conflict throughout her career

The killing: – Shot in the head during Israeli military raid on Jenin refugee camp – Was wearing blue press vest and helmet clearly marked “PRESS” – Standing with group of other journalists – No firefight occurring at the time of shooting – Colleague Ali al-Samoudi also shot (survived)

Investigations:

Investigation Finding
Palestinian Authority Deliberate killing by Israeli sniper
Al Jazeera Deliberate assassination
CNN Evidence suggests targeted by Israeli forces
Washington Post Israeli military likely responsible
New York Times Bullet came from Israeli position
UN Human Rights Office Killed “without justification” by Israeli forces
Forensic Architecture/Al-Haq Killing was deliberate; sniper had clear view
Israeli military “High possibility” killed by IDF fire; “unintentional”
U.S. State Department Probably killed by Israeli fire; “inconclusive” on intent

Aftermath: – Israel initially blamed Palestinian gunfire; later admitted likely IDF responsibility – No criminal investigation opened – Israeli police beat mourners at her funeral, nearly causing pallbearers to drop coffin – Family called for FBI investigation (as U.S. citizen) – No accountability to date

Gaza War Journalist Deaths (October 2023-Present)

The Gaza war has produced unprecedented journalist casualties.

Key statistics: – More than 250 journalists and media workers killed – Multiple journalists killed with their entire families – Press offices, homes, and vehicles deliberately targeted – Israel banned foreign journalists from entering Gaza independently – Palestinian journalists are the only witnesses to events in Gaza

Patterns documented by CPJ: – Journalists killed while wearing press identification – Journalists killed in their homes with families – Journalists killed in marked press vehicles – Media offices deliberately bombed – Equipment and archives destroyed – Families of journalists targeted

Notable cases in Gaza war:

Name Outlet Date Circumstances
Wael Dahdouh's family Al Jazeera Oct 2023 Bureau chief's wife, son, daughter, grandson killed in airstrike
Samer Abudaqa Al Jazeera Dec 2023 Killed by drone strike; left bleeding for hours
Hamza Dahdouh Al Jazeera Jan 2024 Wael Dahdouh's son; killed in targeted strike on journalists' car
Mustafa Thuraya AFP Jan 2024 Killed alongside Hamza Dahdouh
Ismail al-Ghoul Al Jazeera Jul 2024 Killed with cameraman by targeted strike
Rami al-Rifi Al Jazeera Jul 2024 Cameraman killed with al-Ghoul

Israel's justification: – Claims journalists were “Hamas operatives” – Provides no evidence in most cases – International organizations reject these claims – CPJ: Israel engaging in “deliberate effort to kill and silence journalists”

Pattern of Impunity

Zero accountability: – No Israeli soldier or official has ever been criminally charged for killing a journalist – Military investigations consistently exonerate forces – “Unintentional” or “combat situation” cited as justifications – International calls for accountability ignored

CPJ findings (May 2023 report): – “Deadly pattern” of lethal force against journalists – 20 journalists killed by IDF fire in 22 years (2001-2023) – 18 of 20 were Palestinian – “To date, no one has been held accountable”

UN Special Rapporteur (2024): – Called journalist killings in Gaza “unprecedented” – Stated targeting of journalists may constitute war crimes – Called for international investigation

Impact on Press Freedom

Chilling effect: – Palestinian journalists face extreme danger covering their own communities – Foreign media largely dependent on Israeli-approved access – Gaza has been called “the most dangerous place on Earth for journalists” – Self-censorship documented among journalists covering Israel

Restrictions on media: – Foreign journalists banned from independent access to Gaza – Israeli military controls press access to conflict zones – Al Jazeera banned from operating in Israel (2024) – Equipment confiscations documented