Israeli forces launched a search operation in the Jordan Valley after an Israeli man was wounded in a stabbing attack in a village in the eastern occupied West Bank.
According to Israel's public broadcaster Kan, citing security sources, the incident occurred on Sunday at a commercial area on the main road near the village of al-Auja. The victim, a man in his 20s, sustained moderate injuries, Israeli police said.
The suspect fled the scene after carrying out the attack, the Israeli military announced. Troops deployed a large-scale search operation in the area, with the support of a substantial police presence.
The Israeli military said it set up checkpoints in the village and surrounding areas. In a Telegram post, the military said it was "maintaining ongoing communication with residents and security forces in the area."
The incident comes amid a surge in state-backed violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians across the West Bank since Israel launched its military campaign in Gaza in October 2023.
Data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) shows that between 1 January 2025 and 31 June 2026, there were 3,033 attacks by Israeli settlers. In 2023, 1,291 attacks were recorded, rising to 1,449 in 2024, 1,835 in 2025, and 761 in the first four months of 2026. On average, there were about 190 attacks per month in 2026, a 24% increase from the 153 per month in 2025.
In a separate development on the same day, according to video footage and Palestinian officials, Israeli forces used tear gas and blocked the western entrance of the village of al-Mughayyir, north of Ramallah. The Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli troops prevented residents from entering or leaving the village, conducted on-site interrogations of some individuals, mistreated young men, and fired tear gas at vehicles. The agency added that the western entrance is now the village's only exit after Israeli forces closed the eastern entrance since October 2023.
