Israel arrests four people on suspicion of ‘terrorist incidents’ against Palestinians

Days after violence in the occupied West Bank left one person dead and another injured, Israeli authorities have arrested four people, including a minor, on suspicion of carrying out “terrorist attacks” against Palestinians.

The arrests come amid growing pressure from the international community, including its closest ally, the United States, on Israel to do more to combat the rise in deadly settler violence in the West Bank, while Israel continues its military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

The Israeli intelligence service Shin Bet announced the arrests on Wednesday in a joint statement with the Israeli police. Three adults and a minor were arrested last Thursday for violence in the village of Jit, including “serious unrest.”

“This is a serious terrorist incident in which buildings and vehicles were set on fire and stones and Molotov bottles were thrown. In addition, there were shootings that left one Palestinian dead and another injured,” the statement said.

The suspects have not been identified.

Residents of Jit told Reuters that dozens of people, many of them masked and dressed in black, took part in last week's attack. They said the attack was well coordinated. People split into groups, some armed with weapons, others throwing stones and Molotov cocktails.

NBC News could not independently confirm the reports, but was able to verify videos shared on social media showing a burning vehicle and building in the village of Jit that day.

The White House condemned the violence and said in a statement shortly after the attacks that settler violence against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank was “unacceptable and must stop.”

The letter also called on the Israeli authorities to take action against the attacks, saying they should intervene “to stop this violence” and “bring all perpetrators of this violence to justice.”

The United States has increased pressure on Israel in recent months to combat settler violence in the West Bank amid rising numbers of deadly attacks and fears of land grabs in Palestinian territories, and has imposed sanctions on individuals and organizations linked to the violence.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs (OCHA) says it has detected more than 1,000 attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the West Bank in the more than 10 months since Israel launched its offensive in Gaza following Hamas's October 7 terror attacks.

These attacks have led to the displacement of 1,547 Palestinians, including at least 753 children, OCHA said in an update on Wednesday.

Between Tuesday and Sunday, 45 Palestinians, including 28 children, were displaced “due to violence and harassment by Israeli settlers and the takeover of Palestinian property,” the update said.

“More than 600 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since October 7,” it said.

“During the same period, 15 Israelis, including nine members of the Israeli defense force and five settlers, were killed by Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” it said. Israeli government officials regularly accuse the UN of underestimating the death toll.