Overall, violence was down from 1,045 incidents in 2023, though that record was partially driven by a surge following the October 7 massacres.
But that has been offset by a proportional increase in the severity of the attacks, with only 54 serious incidents recorded in 2023, around half the 2025 tally, despite the lower overall rate of violence this year.
Per the report, Shin Bet believes that the majority of attacks are carried out by a group of around 300 extremist settlers, 70 of whom are thought to make up a “hardcore” bloc responsible for more severe violence.
More than half of those 70 are already under IDF-authorised restraining orders, either preventing them from entering the West Bank or confining them to house arrest if they already live there.
Officials believe that most of the 300 assailants are spread across 42 “outposts” – settlements considered illegal under Israeli law in addition to international law – and many are officially registered as living in Israel rather than in the territory.
On the other side of the ledger, 2025 also saw the continuation of a steady decline in Palestinian terrorism across the West Bank, partly as terror groups increasingly focus their resources on Gaza.
A total of 57 Palestinian terror attacks were recorded last year, resulting in 20 deaths. This was a significant decline from 258 attacks resulting in 35 deaths in 2024 and 847 attacks leading to 41 deaths the year before, though it did represent an increase in the rate of fatalities per attack.
The IDF also credited “sustained offensive activity” within the West Bank, aimed at destroying terror infrastructure, for the drop-off.
Finally, the number of Palestinians killed by soldiers has dropped by more than 50 per cent in the past two years, down to 240 last year from 500 in 2024 and 504 in 2023.
The army estimates that less than five per cent of those were unintended civilian fatalities, with the remainder either gunmen, rioters or terrorists killed while carrying out attacks.
