"The surge in Israeli settlers’ attacks is not a surprise. The deafening silence of the international community is. Palestinian children are constantly living in fear and terror from Israeli forces and the settlers. Unprotected with no means of keeping them safe. This cycle of violence must be stopped."
RAMALLAH, 20 July 2026 – More than 1,000 Palestinian children have been displaced by a surge in settler violence in the West Bank in the first six months of 2026, causing extreme disruptions to children’s schooling, safety and sense of wellbeing, said Save the Children.
The number displaced is half the total number of children forced by settler violence from their homes over the entire previous three-year period, with about 2,000 children forcibly displaced between January 2023 and December 2025 [1].
Palestinian children and families have told Save the Children that they are living under constant fear of attacks by the state-backed settlers, who have burned homes, vehicles, and agricultural land, attacked schools, destroyed or stolen livestock, and committed violent assaults and intimidation at gunpoint.
The rate of settler attacks rose by 45% in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year, according to the UN, with over 1,020 incidents recorded since January, up from 757 attacks during the first six months of 2025.
According to the UN, Israeli authorities and forces have been directly involved in the settler attacks that have killed, injured and displaced Palestinians, with the latest UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) concluding that settler violence is being driven by the state and enabled by longstanding impunity.
There has also been a surge in injuries caused by state-backed settlers in 2026, with UN data revealing that some 569 Palestinians have been injured by settlers since the start of the year, compared to 832 in 2025, 362 in 2024 and 376 in 2023. A child was reported to have been killed by a settler - the 14-year-old boy was shot dead near a school north-east of Ramallah.
Along with physical violence and threats of violence, recent data from the West Bank Protection Consortium showed that 70% of displaced households identified threats to women and children, particularly sexualised violence, as the decisive reason for leaving.
Schools have also been targeted, with 13 attacks by settlers on schools in the West Bank since the start of the year impacting 700 students, according to Save the Children’s analysis of the Education Cluster data.[2]
Ahmad Alhendawi, Save the Children's Regional Director for the Middle East, North Africa and Eastern Europe, said:
“The surge in Israeli settlers’ attacks is not a surprise. The deafening silence of the international community is. Palestinian children are constantly living in fear and terror from Israeli forces and the settlers. Unprotected with no means of keeping them safe. This cycle of violence must be stopped.
“The international community must pressure the Israeli authorities to stop enabling and driving this violence, end state-sanctioned violence and attacks by settlers and ensure that perpetrators are held to account, along with the provision of full reparations to affected people.
“Member States should ban trade, economic cooperation, financial assistance, and services that maintain or support illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory. This is in line with the obligations established by the International Court of Justice's July 2024 Advisory Opinion and represents a necessary step to end the systematic violation of Palestinian children's fundamental rights.”
Save the Children has worked in the occupied Palestinian territory since 1953, with a permanent presence since 1973. Save the Children works with partners to support children affected by violence from Israeli forces and settlers, helping to deliver essential items and creating safe spaces for children.
Across the West Bank, directly and through partners, we support the mental health and psychosocial well-being of children and caregivers. We ensure children have access to safe and inclusive education.
