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Israeli Settlers Force Palestinian Families to Leave Northern Jordan Valley
At least 15 Palestinian families were forced to dismantle their homes in the northern Jordan Valley amid settler attacks. UN-recognized occupied West Bank sees rising demolitions, injuries, and arrests.
ND
by News Desk
2026-02-17
Israeli Settlers Force Palestinian Families to Leave Northern Jordan Valley

In the northern Jordan Valley of the occupied West Bank, 15 Palestinian families were compelled to dismantle their homes and leave amid intensified assaults by Israeli settlers, local officials reported on Tuesday.

Mahdi Daraghmeh, head of the Al-Malih Village Council, told Wafa that the families began evacuating as settler attacks escalated. Earlier, seven families from the nearby Maita community were forced to leave under similar circumstances, facing threats and pressure from settlers.

In a separate incident, settlers reportedly assaulted men from Nabi Samwil, injuring one individual who required hospital care for bruises.

Rising Israeli Operations

The incidents coincide with a broader increase in Israeli military operations across the occupied West Bank, including raids and demolitions in Nablus, Al Khader, and Salfit.

Israel has recently advanced measures to consolidate control over Palestinian territory, including easing the process for settlers to purchase Palestinian land and initiating the registration of Palestinian lands as Israeli “state property.” The move shifts the burden of proof onto Palestinians to prove ownership, prompting concerns over a potential de facto annexation.

Palestinians warn that these steps undermine the two-state solution envisaged in multiple United Nations resolutions and entrench Israeli sovereignty over occupied areas.

International Reaction

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers of Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt condemned the Israeli measures, calling them a “grave escalation” intended to accelerate illegal settlement expansion, confiscate land, and undermine Palestinian rights.

The statement warned that Israel’s actions impose a “new legal and administrative reality” designed to solidify control over the occupied land, jeopardizing the prospects of establishing an independent Palestinian state.

Human Toll

According to official Palestinian sources, at least 1,114 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since October 2023. About 11,500 have been injured and some 22,000 arrested, with settlement expansions, displacement, and demolitions continuing alongside ongoing military operations.

The escalating violence and forced displacement highlight growing concerns about Israel’s policies in the West Bank and the urgent need for international attention to prevent further humanitarian and political deterioration.
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Palestine

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