The Straits Times World News
· collected 2026-09-06 · by The Straits Times
US Ambassador Mike Huckabee visited the Palestinian town of Turmus Ayya on September 5 to meet with Palestinians who have been affected by rising settler violence in the West Bank. The visit comes amid international condemnation of the violence, which has resulted in few arrests or prosecutions. Around 80% of the town's residents hold US citizenship, and Ambassador Huckabee described his meeting as "constructive". He also stated that a small group of around 200 settlers are responsible for most of the violence, but noted that he believes they represent only a minority of the settler community, which numbers around 750,000.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Here is a 9-sentence summary of the news articles:
Israeli settlers and military actions against Palestinians: On August 4, Israeli settlers arrived at the home of Loui Abu Ridi in Qusra, West Bank, while Palestinian workers were installing a fence around their property. The Israeli police were called, but instead of protecting the family from the settlers, they arrested the Palestinian workers and allowed the settlers to roam freely. This incident highlights the broader issue of Israeli government emboldening settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Settler violence and removal plans: In related news, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has stated that Israel is prepared to remove Palestinians from Gaza if the US approves. A plan called "Disengagement 710" aims to relocate Palestinians over seven years, with some officials describing it as "voluntary emigration". However, Palestinians fear forced expulsion and this move would be a war crime.
US stance on removal plans: In contrast, the US has rejected Israeli suggestions of removing Palestinians from Gaza, with the State Department stating that no one will be forced to leave Gaza and those who wish to leave will be free to do so. This rejection comes as part of President Trump's 20-point "peace plan" that established a ceasefire last year.
Human rights abuses in Gaza: Israeli military operations have also led to human rights abuses, including the evacuation of 200 children from a kindergarten in Gaza City due to an Israeli operation to detain a Hamas official. Doaa Qadeeh, the head of the kindergarten department, was left shaken by the experience.
International condemnation: The idea of removing Palestinians from Gaza has been widely condemned as forced displacement and described as ethnic cleansing. Ben-Gvir's recent comments, including a video showing Palestinian prisoners on conveyor belts to detention camps, have also sparked international criticism.
Written for “Israeli Settler Violence in Palestine” on 2026-09-07,
grounded in this article and the 31 other(s) covering the same event.
US ambassador Mike Huckabee visits Palestinian town amid rise in West Bank settler violence
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Huckabee → visit → violence
The United States Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee on Sept 5 met Palestinians, including relatives of US citizens killed by Israeli settlers, in a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank that has been the target of settler attacks.
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that → meet → attacks
The visit comes as settler violence, and what is widely perceived as the Israeli government’s inaction, has increasingly drawn international condemnation, including from US allies.
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what → come → allies
The Israeli government has condemned settler violence, though perpetrators are rarely arrested and even less frequently prosecuted.
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perpetrators → condemn → violence
Washington has not criticised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government over the violence, though it has called for perpetrators to be prosecuted with Huckabee labelling them as terrorists.
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Huckabee → criticise → terrorists
Huckabee described his meeting in Turmus Ayya, where most of the town’s Palestinian residents are US citizens, as constructive.
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most → describe → residents
While Huckabee, a Baptist minister and long-time supporter of Israeli settlements, has previously called for violent settlers to be prosecuted, he also says he believes they represent a minority of the settler community, which numbers around 750,000.
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which → call → 750,000
Around three million Palestinians live in the West Bank, with tens of thousands estimated to be American citizens.
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thousands → live → Bank
Palestinians in the West Bank have faced a surge in settler violence while their freedoms have been increasingly curtailed under military occupation since Netanyahu’s coalition, the most right-wing in Israel’s history, came to power in late 2022.
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coalition → face → 2022
In Turmus Ayya, Palestinians are facing what Mayor Nawwaf Zaghoul said were constant settler attacks.
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Zaghoul → face → Ayya
About 80 per cent of the Palestinian town’s residents hold US citizenship, he said.
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he → hold → citizenship
Israeli settlements have been established around the town, including Shiloh, which Huckabee has visited twice since 2025.
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Huckabee → establish → 2025
Huckabee, the first evangelical Christian to serve as US Ambassador to Israel, refers to the West Bank as Judea and Samaria, its biblical name, which is used by the Israeli government but has not been adopted by the United States.
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which → serve → States
Huckabee told reporters in Turmus Ayya it was in the Israeli government’s interest to take action against those carrying out “criminal behaviour and terrorism”, and that a “tiny group of little marauders”, who he said numbered a few hundred people, were damaging the country’s reputation.\
He also said he had told Palestinian Americans that the US embassy had no power or authority to take action and could only seek to influence and call attention to issues that the US government believed needed to be corrected.
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government → tell → issues
In January 2025, shortly after returning to office, US President Donald Trump rescinded sanctions imposed by the Biden administration on far-right Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of being involved in violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
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Trump → return → Bank
Yasser Alkam, a Palestinian American and a municipality spokesman, disagreed with Huckabee’s characterisation that only a few hundred settlers were carrying out violence against Palestinians.
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settlers → disagree → Palestinians
There were thousands, he said, not hundreds.
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he → be → ?
“The United States does have the power to pressure Israel; at least arrest these settlers, which are known to the authorities,” he told reporters.
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he → have → reporters
“They can identify them, one by one, and arrest them, if they want to, with the right amount of pressure from the United States embassy and the United States administration.”
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they → identify → embassy
Among those who met Huckabee on Sept 5 was Hadeel Jabara, a Palestinian American mother of two young children whose husband, Omar, a US citizen, was killed by settlers in 2023.
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husband → meet → 2023
She described the meeting as positive, adding that she hoped the US government could help protect residents and that she feared for her children’s safety.
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she → describe → safety
At least six Palestinian Americans have been killed in the West Bank either by the Israeli military or settlers since 2024.
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Americans → kill → 2024
