West Bank: The tranquil Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh, renowned as the last entirely Christian village in the West Bank, has recently come under a wave of escalating violence, reportedly carried out by Israeli settlers. Residents describe repeated assaults over the past month, marking a new phase of fear for the village’s roughly 1,300 inhabitants.
On the night of June 25, fires were lit near the village entrance, followed by another blaze next to the 5th-century ruins of the Church of St. George. Local accounts, supported by video evidence shared online, point to settler involvement. One of the main voices documenting these incidents is Ihab Hassan, a Palestinian Christian activist and native of nearby Ramallah, who has been gathering and circulating footage of the attacks.
Hassan told Vatican News that while settler violence isn’t new in the region, the current surge in aggression marks a troubling shift. “There are daily incidents in and around Taybeh,” he explained. “Some ten families have already fled the area because of the ongoing threats and intimidation.”
The incident on June 25 appears linked to a deadly settler raid on the neighboring village of Kafr Malik, which left three Palestinians dead. Footage suggests the attackers then moved towards Taybeh, torching vehicles near its entrance. In the following days, other aggressive acts were reported: settlers were seen driving cattle onto private property, grazing in residents’ backyards a symbolic and literal violation of space and livelihood.
One particularly disturbing fire was lit near the graveyard adjacent to the historic Church of St. George. Again, videos indicate settler involvement. Hassan stressed the absurdity of the attacks being framed as retaliation. “Taybeh is one of the most peaceful places in the West Bank,” he said. “Its people are calm, kind, and committed to peace. There’s absolutely no provocation here.”
He went on to underline that the real instigators are the extremist settler groups a view, he notes, shared even by some Israeli authorities. Several of these settlers, Hassan pointed out, have previously been placed under administrative detention by former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who himself now faces war crimes charges at the International Criminal Court.
In response to the violence, senior Christian leaders from Jerusalem including the Latin and Greek Orthodox Patriarchs travelled to Taybeh on July 14 to publicly denounce the attacks. They were joined by European diplomats representing France, Belgium, and Italy, demonstrating international concern for the Christian minority in the region.
Just days later, on July 19, U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee visited the village. Calling the events in Taybeh “an absolute travesty,” he pledged strong support for justice and vowed to do “everything possible” to ensure those responsible are held to account.
For Hassan, the global attention is encouraging. “These visits matter,” he said. “Media coverage, especially in Catholic and Christian outlets, is helping to shine a light on what’s happening here.”
Still, he emphasized that real change depends on accountability. “Unless settlers face consequences for these attacks, they will continue with impunity,” Hassan warned. “Peace in this region cannot be achieved without justice and justice begins with holding the perpetrators responsible.”