An Israeli government document has revealed that about 650 young Israelis are living in unauthorized settlement outposts across the occupied West Bank and seeking financial assistance through a programme officially intended for “at-risk youth.”
The document, dated May 27 and uncovered by the Israeli anti-settlement organization Peace Now, details funding offered by the Ministry of Settlements and National Missions to regional settlement councils.
Peace Now accused the government of using the youth programme as a cover to finance illegal settlement activity, arguing that violence originating from some of the outposts forms part of a coordinated effort to drive Palestinians from Area C of the West Bank.
Many of the young settlers are school dropouts who volunteer at sheep and goat farms. They graze livestock across large areas of Palestinian land, frequently bringing them into confrontation with nearby Palestinian communities.
According to Peace Now, most of the 650 youths live across an estimated 204 unauthorized agricultural outposts. At least 130 of those outposts have been established since Israel’s current governing coalition entered office in December 2022.
The organization estimates that another 100 young settlers live in outposts not supported by regional councils, including some inside Area B, where Israeli citizens are prohibited from residing under Israeli law.
The available funding includes 5.5 million shekels—approximately $1.8 million—for food, clothing and living expenses. Additional funding covers coordinators and counsellors, as well as four-wheel-drive vehicles used to reach hilltop outposts without paved roads.
Two Palestinians killed in Deir Jarir
The disclosure comes amid a sharp escalation in settler violence across the West Bank.
Late Sunday, Israeli forces killed two Palestinians during a settler attack on Deir Jarir, east of Ramallah, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The ministry identified the victims as Odeh Abdul Rahim Odeh Farakhna, 53, and Ahmad Adel Rashid Abu Mkhou, 26. The Palestinian Red Crescent said its teams also transported another wounded person following the attack.
Deir Jarir council head Eid Hammad said settlers marked sheep belonging to residents before bringing a vehicle and loading the animals onto it. Local Palestinians then attempted to stop them, leading to confrontations.
A witness told AFP that settlers entered the village’s old quarter accompanied by Israeli soldiers and police officers, searched homes and livestock pens and stole sheep. The witness said gunfire was directed towards young Palestinian residents but that darkness made it difficult to identify who fired every shot.
The Israeli military presented a different account, saying soldiers and police were called after Israeli civilians entered the town to recover livestock they claimed belonged to them.
It said what it described as a violent confrontation erupted after Palestinians threw stones and concrete blocks at Israeli forces, prompting troops to open fire to “remove the threat.” The military added that two members of the security forces were injured.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has documented an average of six settler attacks per day during 2026. Its latest reports say settler attacks have become a leading cause of Palestinian injuries and displacement in the West Bank. OCHA recorded about 850 Palestinian injuries linked to settler attacks this year, while more than 3,200 Palestinians have been displaced by settler violence and demolitions.
Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law, a position rejected by Israel. The agricultural outposts covered by the government document are unauthorized even under Israeli law.
Official Israeli figures show that at least 46 Israeli civilians and soldiers have also been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations in the West Bank since October 7, 2023.
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