Rumor Turns into Riots: How One Fire Rekindled the Northern West Bank | Ran Edelist

A fire at the Havat Gilad outpost destroyed 18 homes, and following a rumor of arson, the village of At-Tuwani was attacked, a mosque was set on fire, and vehicles were burned. The investigation found no evidence of arson, but settler harassment continued, including an incident in which two Israelis and four Palestinians were killed. A resident of the outpost told the BBC that all Palestinians in the four villages should be killed. The Defense Minister instructed the IDF to prepare for the occupation of refugee camps in the northern West Bank.

About two weeks ago, a fire broke out at the Havat Gilad outpost in the northern West Bank, destroying 18 homes. Following a rumor of arson, the Palestinian village of At-Tuwani was attacked, a mosque was set on fire, and vehicles were burned. The fire was investigated and no evidence of deliberate arson was found, but settler harassment of Palestinian villages continued. In one case, during a 'trip' by settlers in the Palestinian village of Tel, a weapon was seized, and in the ensuing confrontation, two Israelis and four Palestinians were killed. One of the residents of Havat Gilad told the BBC that all Palestinian residents of the four nearby villages should be killed, as the life of one Jew is worth the lives of ten million Palestinians. Meanwhile, the Defense Minister instructed the IDF to prepare for the occupation of one or more refugee camps in the northern West Bank, according to the 'model' implemented in the Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur al-Shams camps in early 2025. The outpost was established about 25 years ago on private land, and in September 2025, the Civil Administration declared 445 dunams in its vicinity as state land. The article notes that the only way to legalize the outpost is through land theft, contrary to the positions of most Israeli governments and legal advisors until now.