Israel Expands Deportations of Foreign Activists Amid Rising Settler Violence

A March collision involving a settler’s vehicle and a young Palestinian girl in the Hebron Hills sparked the arrest of three international volunteers, who were subsequently deported or denied future entry to the West Bank. The incident occurred amid a broader Israeli policy shift after a 2024 Knesset debate, leading Itamar Ben-Gvir to establish a police task force targeting foreign activists, which he described as a unit for dealing with “anarchists.”

Data from the Human Rights Defenders Fund show deportations rising from two in 2023 to 54 between early 2025 and May 2026, including a mass removal of 32 volunteers in March. The HRDF cautions that its hotline does not capture every case, suggesting the true scale is larger and that proceedings are heavily politicized. Local villagers, such as Masafer Yatta resident Eid Suleiman, contend the expulsions are intended to silence witnesses to settler attacks. The heightened security measures have left Palestinian communities increasingly vulnerable as international protective presence dwindles.