Israeli security forces have arrested five Israeli settlers accused of involvement in an attack on a Palestinian home in the occupied West Bank that injured an eight-month-old baby girl. The incident occurred on Wednesday in the town of Sair, north of Hebron, and has drawn renewed attention to rising settler violence in the territory.
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According to the Palestinian news agency Wafa, the infant sustained moderate injuries to her face and head after a group of armed settlers allegedly hurled stones at Palestinian homes and property. The child was taken for medical treatment, while local residents reported damage to several buildings.
Israeli police confirmed the arrests, saying the suspects were detained for their alleged involvement in “serious, violent incidents” in Sair. A police statement said officers had received reports of stones being thrown by Israeli civilians toward a Palestinian home, resulting in injuries to a young girl.
An 8-month-old baby was wounded and hospitalized after illegal settlers attacked Palestinian homes and property with stones late on Wednesday.https://t.co/RWXGaSQ8Ce pic.twitter.com/0MeAWNT5OR
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) December 25, 2025
Infant among Palestinians wounded in attacks by Israeli settlers, soldiers https://t.co/8QtiGsEteA pic.twitter.com/8q6lweb0pi
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) December 25, 2025
Preliminary investigations indicated that the suspects came from a nearby unauthorised settler outpost. While some Israeli settlements lack official recognition under Israeli law, all settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law.
Human rights groups have long criticised Israeli authorities for failing to hold settlers accountable for attacks against Palestinians. Past incidents have rarely resulted in prosecutions, contributing to what critics describe as a culture of impunity.
In a separate incident on Thursday, the Israeli military said a reservist dressed in civilian clothing fired his weapon in the area of Dayr Jarir near Ramallah. Footage later showed an armed individual running over a Palestinian man. The military identified the individual as the same reservist, confiscated his weapon and terminated his service, citing the severity of the incident.
More than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements across the West Bank, which is home to around three million Palestinians and has been occupied by Israel since 1967. According to United Nations data, settler-related violence has increased sharply in recent years, with October marking the highest number of recorded attacks since monitoring began in 2006.
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Tensions in the West Bank have escalated further since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, with hundreds of Palestinians killed in ongoing violence involving Israeli forces and settlers.