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Dozens of Democratic lawmakers in the US House of Representatives have urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to take immediate action against settler violence in the occupied West Bank, protect Palestinian communities and investigate attacks involving American citizens.
In a letter sent to Netanyahu on Sept. 24, the lawmakers expressed “urgent concern” over what they described as escalating violence in the West Bank, according to the letter.
“We write with urgent concern regarding the growing outbreak of extremist settler violence in the West Bank, including violence that has killed and threatened American citizens,” they wrote.
The lawmakers warned that continued settlement expansion and violence could undermine Israel’s long-term security and prospects for peace, prosperity and freedom for both Israelis and Palestinians.
Lawmakers cite rise in settler attacks
The letter cited data showing a significant increase in settler violence in recent years. According to the lawmakers, attacks by Israeli settlers, including incidents involving Palestinians and Israeli security forces, rose by 27% in 2025. Serious incidents increased by 63% in the first half of 2026 compared with the same period a year earlier.
They also referred to UN figures indicating that 1,122 Palestinians, including civilians and combatants, were killed in the West Bank and East Jerusalem between Oct. 7, 2023, and July 24, 2026. The lawmakers said 67 Israelis had been killed by Palestinians in the West Bank since the beginning of 2023.
Settler violence has displaced residents from 107 communities since January 2023, affecting approximately 6,000 Palestinians, the letter said. It also cited more than 1,380 settler-related incidents documented by the UN across over 250 Palestinian communities since the start of 2026.
“Israeli settler attacks have made daily life unsafe for Palestinians across large parts of the West Bank,” the lawmakers wrote.
Calls to protect Palestinian and US citizens
The lawmakers said attacks had affected Palestinian schools, farmers and families. Residents had reported physical assaults, displacement from agricultural land and restrictions on movement, they added.
“Nine American citizens have been killed in the West Bank since January 2022. To date, no one has been held accountable for any of these nine deaths,” the letter said. The lawmakers added that some constituents, including American citizens, had told them they were threatened or harassed by settlers without cause.
The letter called for three specific measures from Netanyahu’s government.
- The Israeli Police and Israel Defense Forces should protect Palestinian communities under attack, regardless of the identity of the attackers.
- Israel should establish a transparent and credible mechanism to investigate and prosecute violence against Palestinians, including Palestinian Americans, and complete pending investigations into the deaths of the nine American citizens.
- Israel should halt additional settlement approvals and continue removing illegal outposts in the West Bank.
“Restoring the rule of law in the West Bank serves the security of Israelis and Palestinians alike,” the lawmakers wrote.
They also called on the Israeli government to ensure that Americans living in or visiting Israeli-controlled areas of the West Bank receive protection for their safety and property.
