Analysts suggest the uptick in settlement activity is driven by upcoming October elections, as hard-right factions seek to solidify their hold on the occupied West Bank. The United Nations warned last week that attacks by Israeli settlers and the creation of illegal settlements have reached an "all-time high". Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz stated that since 2022, 104 illegal settlements and about 160 settlement farms have been approved in the West Bank. In July alone, the Palestinian Authority reported 2,256 attacks against Palestinians and their property, with 798 attributed to settlers and 1,458 to the Israeli army.