The US has temporarily suspended government personnel travel to the West Bank due to escalating settler attacks and Israeli military operations.
In a statement, the US Embassy in Israel announced that due to heightened security concerns and instability, all US government employees and their families are restricted from traveling to the West Bank. The restriction will remain in effect until Wednesday, July 29, 2026, unless extended or rescinded.
The decision came as the United Nations released its latest data on settler attacks. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) documented more than 1,330 attacks by settlers since the beginning of 2026, which have caused Palestinian casualties or property damage in approximately 250 localities.
According to OCHA, as of July 20, 18 Palestinians have been killed in incidents linked to settler attacks, surpassing the total for all of 2025.
Most recently, four Palestinians were killed on Friday in an attack by the Israeli army and settlers in the town of Tel, southwest of Nablus. According to the UN, two Israelis also died during the events.
The US State Department has been advising reconsideration of travel to the West Bank since February 2026. US government employees required special permission to enter the area, with limited exceptions.
Since Israel launched its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, army and settler attacks, raids, arrests, demolitions, and forced displacement have continued unabated in the West Bank.
