Israeli settlers take over eight Palestinian homes in Jericho, UN condemns

A takeover on Wednesday afternoon

About 30 Israeli settlers moved into eight homes in Ein a-Duyuk a-Tahta, on the outskirts of Jericho in the occupied West Bank, on Wednesday afternoon, 4 November, according to the Israeli watchdog Peace Now. Settler representative Hanan Greenwood told AFP that Nachala, a right-wing Israeli organisation, had bought the eight homes with the settlers' help, and he spoke enthusiastically about being on site. Nachala finances new settlements in the occupied West Bank and campaigns for Israel to annex the territory. The settlement lies close to an archaeological site known as the Hasmonean Palaces, named after the dynasty that ruled Judea until around 40 BCE. Peace Now says the group attacked and robbed two Israeli activists and wounded a Palestinian man by shooting him in the leg.

Forgery claims and the UN response

The settlers insist the homes were bought legally, but Palestinian officials say the sale documents were forged. Hussein Hamayel, governor of the Jericho region, told AFP that the land belongs to the Palestinian Authority and cannot be sold, calling the transaction a forgery rather than a sale. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric, speaking for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, told reporters on Thursday, 5 November, that settlers reportedly used live ammunition during the takeover on Wednesday. He added that they physically assaulted Palestinian residents and threw stones, which pushed families to flee for their safety.

“We once again condemn all of these violent activities by the Israeli settlers.”

Dujarric's comments came as the scale of displacement was still unclear from the reporting. The UN said some of the displaced now lack adequate shelter.

Closed zone and displaced families

The Israeli military has since declared the area a closed military zone, and the UN says this is preventing humanitarian workers from reaching the people affected. Some of the displaced families now have no adequate shelter, and aid access remains blocked while the zone is in place. Residents told reporters they feared the new settlement would bring more violence to the Jericho area. The Palestinian side has not accepted the settlers' account of how the homes were acquired.

Land status and wider settlement context

The land lies in Area C, the part of the West Bank that Israel has controlled since the Oslo accords of the 1990s. Israel has held the territory since 1967, and more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements there, which are illegal under international law, alongside about three million Palestinians. Attacks by settlers in the West Bank have reportedly approached their highest levels yet in 2026. Peace Now warned that the new settlement could lead to further displacement, pointing to Hebron, where about 400 settlers live inside the Old City among a Palestinian population of 250,000. The European Union has sanctioned Nachala for encouraging violence that led to the forced displacement of Palestinians.