West Bank Industry: Settlors Destroy $1 Million in Machinery
Dozens of settlers from the Navitar settlement torched stone-cutting equipment in Beita, leaving 500 workers without income.
By Robert Ward ·
More than 150 Israeli settlers attacked an industrial zone in the Palestinian town of Beita on Monday, torching heavy machinery and vehicles. The assault targeted stone-cutting workshops south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. The fire caused extensive damage to equipment that serves as a primary income source for local residents.
Ashraf Ghazaly, an owner of the damaged machinery, estimated the total financial loss at over 3.3 million shekels, or approximately one million US dollars. He stated that the group numbered more than 150 individuals. One excavator destroyed in the fire had been purchased just four days prior to the incident. Ghazaly said the assailants threw stones at workers before entering the workshop to ignite the equipment.
The settlers were identified as coming from the Navitar settlement, which is built on land belonging to Beita. Ziad Ghazaly, another owner in the area, described the tactical nature of the attack. He noted that settlers used ladders to access the quarry yard, which sits between 2.5 and three meters below ground level. The fire spread rapidly, causing destruction within minutes despite efforts by local residents to extinguish the blaze.
Ziad Ghazaly criticized the response of the Israeli army, which arrived to prevent entry and exit from the area. He argued that this restriction hindered efforts to control the fire and provide aid. The military presence isolated the site during the critical moments of the incident. Abdul Rahman Salameh, a workshop owner, said the attack occurred after most workers had left for the day. Only seven or eight young men, including his sons and cousins, remained on site.
Salameh reported that approximately five facilities were affected by the fire. He stated that the area faces frequent provocations from settlers, with incidents occurring two or three times per week. He expressed the view that the goal is to terrorize owners and workers into leaving, allowing settlers to seize more land. He emphasized that the community is determined to stay in Area B, which is under Palestinian Authority administrative control.
Omar Diriya, chairman of the Union of Stone and Marble Industry in Palestine, said the attacks threaten the livelihoods of hundreds of families. The facilities in the zone employ more than 500 workers, supporting hundreds of households. Diriya described the repeated attacks as a dangerous escalation. He warned that the sector is struggling with closures, checkpoints, and high production costs. He added that insurance companies typically do not cover damage resulting from war or conflict.
The attack coincides with a rise in settler violence across the West Bank. The United Nations humanitarian affairs office, Ocha, documented 397 attacks resulting in injuries or property damage between October 1 and 26. This figure is the highest monthly count since the agency began keeping records in 2006. The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission recorded 1,369 settler attacks in total during October, marking an increase of more than 111 percent compared to the previous month.
