Israeli occupation responsible for 89% of West Bank property fires since 2023, report says

Israeli occupation forces are responsible for a staggering 89% of fires that have damaged Palestinian homes, buildings, and vehicles in the occupied West Bank since the start of 2023, according to a report by the Commission for the Colonization and Wall Resistance.

The commission documented 900 fire incidents between January 2023 and July 2026. Of these, Israeli occupation forces were blamed for 799 cases, while 101 were attributed to Israeli soldiers. The number of reported fires has steadily increased, from 217 in 2023 to 307 in 2025, with 112 incidents already recorded in the first half of 2026.

The Nablus and Ramallah governorates have been the most severely affected regions, accounting for 552 incidents, or over 61% of the total. These fires have resulted in the displacement of 121 Palestinian communities, with 46 communities completely emptied. More than 6,200 Palestinians, including over 3,000 children, have been forced to abandon their homes due to the escalating violence and destruction.

The commission attributes these attacks to an "enabling governmental environment" that shields the occupiers and fosters impunity. It also notes that illegal settlement outposts are increasingly becoming launchpads for arson, road blockades, and restrictions on Palestinian access to their land and water resources, exacerbating the ongoing conflict.