Hilltop Youth settlers expand violent campaign across West Bank with government backing

The extremist settler group known as Hilltop Youth has intensified attacks on Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank, receiving extensive support from Israel’s current administration.

Formed after Ariel Sharon urged settler youths to occupy West Bank hilltops in 1998, the Hilltop Youth has grown into a network of young Israeli extremists intent on taking over Palestinian land by any means, including lethal violence. The group’s activities—ranging from property destruction to physical and sexual assaults—have risen sharply, with UN data showing more than 1,330 attacks in the first six months of 2026, a figure Palestinian rights groups consider conservative.

Prominent members like Elisha Yered boast of provoking “friction” that even the army feels, while senior politicians such as Defence Minister Israel Katz have publicly cancelled administrative orders targeting settlers. Government subsidies amounting to nearly $40 million for food and clothing, along with provision of all-terrain vehicles, are administered by ministries overseen by Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, both former Hilltop Youth affiliates.

The movement now enjoys regular coverage in Israeli media, and its influence is reflected in the construction of roughly 200 illegal outposts over the past three years. With right-wing public opinion rising, the Hilltop Youth’s ideology is poised to shape upcoming elections.