The Palestinian Christian town of Taybeh is preparing to pursue legal action in the US against Israeli settlers and US-based groups accused of supporting settlements amid escalating attacks and land seizures in the occupied West Bank.
Taybeh Mayor Suleiman Khourieh said the municipality had contacted a US-based rights organisation about bringing civil cases before American courts and was gathering documentation from residents who have been attacked, suffered property damage or been prevented from accessing their land.
The proposed action would draw on the large number of Taybeh residents and landowners who hold US citizenship or permanent residency.
"We intend to file lawsuits in the US, because most of our lands are owned by people who hold American citizenship or green cards," Khourieh told Anadolu.
The mayor said potential cases could target settlers as well as American individuals and organisations accused of providing support for settlements.
"The lawsuits would target American Jews and American associations that support settlements," he said.
No lawsuit has yet been filed, and Khourieh did not identify the US rights organisation working with the municipality or any potential defendants.
The municipality has instead begun collecting evidence and documenting alleged attacks as it explores whether cases can be brought in American courts.
The move follows months of escalating settler violence around Taybeh, the last predominantly Christian town northeast of Ramallah known for its churches and religious sites.
Residents have reported arson attacks, property destruction, theft and the seizure of agricultural land, while Khourieh said Palestinians had been prevented from accessing some 16,000 dunams of land belonging to the town.
Taybeh has become increasingly surrounded by Israeli settlements and unauthorised outposts, with residents warning that attacks and restrictions on access to agricultural land are placing growing pressure on the community.
The town has previously sought action through Israeli courts, but Khourieh said those efforts had failed to provide meaningful protection or accountability, prompting the municipality to explore legal avenues abroad.
The planned legal action comes amid a sharp escalation in settler violence across the occupied West Bank.
UN figures cited by Reuters show that at least 23 Palestinians were killed and more than 1,000 injured in settler attacks between the beginning of 2026 and the end of August. Sixteen Palestinians were killed and more than 1,100 injured in such attacks during 2025.
Israeli authorities have condemned settler violence, although perpetrators are rarely arrested and even less frequently prosecuted.
Pressure on Israel over the attacks has also grown in the US, particularly following violence affecting Palestinian Americans.
US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, a longstanding supporter of Israeli settlements, visited the Palestinian town of Turmus Ayya on Saturday and described violent settlers as "terrorists", calling for those responsible to be prosecuted.
Most residents of Turmus Ayya hold US citizenship, and at least six Palestinian Americans have been killed in the occupied West Bank since 2024.
For Taybeh, the proposed lawsuits represent an attempt to use those American connections to pursue accountability outside the Israeli legal system.
Khourieh said the objective was to halt attacks and hold those responsible to account after years of international condemnation had failed to change conditions on the ground.