OMM Newsroom
Israeli soldiers wearing civilian clothes have joined armed groups of Israeli settlers in attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, an investigation broadcast by “Al Jazeera” on Monday found, Anadolu Agency reported.
The investigation documented the killings of 14 Palestinians by Israeli settlers who were found to be serving in the military or appeared in army uniform during attacks.
It showed soldiers taking part in assaults on Palestinian villages in civilian clothing, making them difficult to distinguish from armed settlers.
The report focused on the Israeli army’s Hagmar regional defence units, which recruit Israeli settlers as reservists. Their ranks have grown sixfold since 2023, the investigation said, while their role has shifted from guarding settlements to directly supporting attacks on Palestinian communities.
Citing informed sources, the investigation said military service gives Israeli settlers access to sensitive information about Palestinians, licensed weapons and regular military training.
In one case, the report linked the fatal shooting of a Palestinian on farmland in Hebron province in the southern West Bank to a soldier wearing civilian clothes.
The investigation identified the soldier as an activist in Israeli settler groups who had been placed under US sanctions in 2024 before the restrictions were lifted. It did not name him.
The report also presented images of another Israeli soldier in civilian clothes assaulting Palestinian olive farmers in Nablus province.
The findings come amid mounting attacks on Palestinians and their property across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
The Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission recorded 1,369 attacks by Israeli settlers in October.
The commission also documented 12,506 attacks between October 2023 and June 2026, resulting in the deaths of 52 Palestinians and 890 fires on Palestinian property and farmland.
