Shin Bet chief 'downplaying' settler terror surge in West Bank

Israel’s Shin Bet chief David Zini has been accused of minimising settler violence against Palestinians, with ex-military and intelligence officials sounding the alarm over growing extremism. A report published by Haaretz on Thursday said staff within Israel’s domestic intelligence agency have expressed growing frustration over its handling of rising Jewish extremism in the occupied West Bank , particularly in relation to attacks on Palestinians. According to the report, senior officials have warned colleagues that they fear "politicisation is reaching the Shin Bet", pointing to what they see as a failure to effectively address settler violence. The criticism has reportedly contributed to the departure of several experienced members of the agency’s Jewish Division, which is tasked with tackling settler extremism. Sources cited by Haaretz described widespread frustration within both the division and the wider agency over the lack of progress in curbing extremist activity. They also highlighted concerns that the Israeli military has not taken sufficient action against settler violence in the West Bank. "Staff feel today that their hands are tied behind their backs, because the police and the army are not helping," one source said. The report added that tensions extend beyond the Shin Bet, with police also critical of the military’s conduct, accusing it of failing to respond adequately to shootings and incidents in which Palestinians have been killed by settlers, including those linked to the army. Since Zini took office, senior officials have warned of a "loss of control" in the West Bank, reflected in an increase in violent incidents, Palestinian deaths and property damage. The findings come as former heads of Israel’s military, Mossad, Shin Bet and police issued a joint statement on Thursday warning of a surge in Jewish extremism in the West Bank, describing it as both a moral failure and a serious strategic threat. In a letter to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu , the former officials cautioned that settler violence had escalated into what they characterised as terrorism, which they said was being enabled by the government. "The Jewish terrorism raging in Judea and Samaria [the West Bank], with the tolerance – or worse, the backing – of government authorities, constitutes not only a profound moral failure, but a grave strategic threat to Israel’s security, especially in a time of war," the letter stated. "These acts of terrorism undermine the national effort in multiple ways," it added. The signatories warned that such violence damages Israel’s international standing- calling for strict enforcement of the law. They further stressed that "terrorism must be confronted as terrorism, without regard to identity, nationality, or ideology", and urged the restoration of the independence of Israel’s security and legal institutions. Human rights groups say that the expansion of settlements, land seizures and settler violence has intensified since the Gaza war began in October 2023 . On Wednesday, a 28-year-old Palestinian was killed in a settler attack in the village of Tayasir, near Tubas in the northern West Bank. The Israeli military said an off-duty soldier fired at a Palestinian during a stone-throwing incident near the village, where settlers had recently established outposts and begun attacking residents. At least six Palestinians have been killed by settlers in the West Bank since the start of the year, according to rights groups, which report a sharp rise in attacks- including arson, assaults and vandalism- since the outbreak of the Iran war on 28 February. The United Nations said settler violence has displaced at least 700 Palestinians between the start of 2025 and February 2026.