Israeli settlers are accused of setting fire to farmland near Taybeh, among the last entirely Christian Palestinian towns in the occupied West Bank, in what local residents and church leaders describe as the latest in a series of attacks against the community.Palestinian media and local sources said settlers entered the area surrounding the village, east of Ramallah, on Tuesday evening and set fire to agricultural land on the town’s outskirts. No injuries were immediately reported.The blaze spread across fields near the village before being brought under control, residents said. The incident comes amid growing concerns among Palestinian Christians over settler violence and the expansion of settlement outposts across the West Bank.Fr. Bashar Fawadleh, parish priest of the Church of Christ the Redeemer in Taybeh, said residents were confronted with what he described as a “complex, alarming” attack.“What we are experiencing is not a series of isolated incidents, but an ongoing pattern of intimidation and unjustified violence that undermines our fundamental right to safety, security, and dignity,” Fawadleh said in a statement.He called on “the international community, friendly nations, human rights organizations, churches, and humanitarian institutions” to take action to stop what he described as escalating attacks against the town and its residents.“Taybeh, a town of profound historical and spiritual significance, known as the only remaining entirely Christian Palestinian town in the West Bank and home to the descendants of the first believers in Christ’s message, deserves protection, dignity, and peace — not fear, intimidation, and recurring violence,” he said.“Our message is simple and clear: we want to live in peace. We want our children to grow up in safety and our families to enjoy a normal life, just like people everywhere else in the world.”.Human rights advocates said the attack forms part of a broader increase in settler violence across the occupied West Bank.Fares Malihat, general supervisor of the Al-Baydar human rights organization, said settlers have increasingly targeted Palestinian communities while new settlement outposts continue to expand.The attack follows previous incidents reported in Taybeh, including attacks on homes and religious sites. Church leaders have also recently raised concerns about pressure on Christian communities in the area.According to local officials, Taybeh is home to roughly 1,300 residents and is one of the last remaining entirely Christian Palestinian communities in the West Bank.The attack comes amid growing concerns among Palestinian Christian communities in the West Bank over settler violence and pressure on historic Christian towns. In a previous Western Standard reporting trip to the region, publisher Derek Fildebrandt visited several Palestinian Christian communities and documented concerns from local residents about security, emigration and the future of Christianity in the Holy Land.
