The Israeli government has intensified efforts to expand settlements in the occupied West Bank, including lifting a ban on settlement in areas near Jenin and allocating substantial funding for these projects. This expansion comes amid an increase in settler-led attacks on Palestinian villages.
The current Israeli government has allocated 19 billion shekels (approximately $6.2 billion) towards expanding West Bank settlements and is seeking an additional 600 million shekels ($196 million) for settlement programs, according to the Israeli peace advocacy group Peace Now. This push for expansion is particularly concentrated in areas around the Palestinian city of Jenin, where the government is advancing construction on more than a dozen settlements and several new military sites. Notably, one of these military sites is being established adjacent to the Jenin refugee camp, marking the first time Israel has seized land for a military installation in an area designated for total Palestinian control under the Oslo Accords.
Hagit Ofran of Peace Now suggests that the rapid construction in Jenin is part of a strategic effort by the Israeli government to expand settlements before potential elections in October. The government, which includes ministers with settler backgrounds, is reportedly finding ways to channel state funds to illegal settler outposts through allocations for infrastructure, security, or the establishment of temporary sites in areas designated for future settlement.
Maj. Gen. Avi Bluth, the IDF commander for the West Bank, stated in July at a conference of settler leaders that farm outposts "align well" with Israel's security strategy, provided their operations and ethics comply with the law and strengthen security. However, reports from villages like al-Mughayyir describe weekly attacks by Israeli settlers.
One home on the outskirts of al-Mughayyir has become a focal point for conflict, with residents reporting being besieged by settlers. Incidents documented on July 11, 2026, in al-Mughayyir, near Ramallah, involved settlers using tools like sticks and angle grinders during assaults on Palestinian homes. Palestinian men have also been seen clashing with Israeli forces in the village during these events. The violence has led to casualties, with funerals for Palestinians killed during settler attacks in the West Bank occurring as early as June 2025.