Israeli civilians have committed various forms of violence against Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, including killing. From the beginning of the second intifada, in September 2000, to the end of June 2011, Israeli civilians killed 50 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. From December 1987, when the first intifada erupted, until the outbreak of the second intifada, Israeli civilians killed 115 Palestinians.

In some of the cases, Israelis fired at Palestinians when their lives were under threat, including when armed Palestinians attempted to enter settlements. In many cases, however, the shooting was not out of self-defense. For example, in some cases, Israeli civilians chased Palestinians who had thrown stones, and killed them by shooting directly at their bodies. Such acts are absolutely illegal under criminal law and breach the open fire regulations that apply to civilians.

In recent years, settlers have carried out violent acts under the slogan “price tag.” These are acts of random violence aimed at the Palestinian population and Israeli security forces. They generally follow actions by Israeli authorities that are perceived as harming the settlement enterprise, or follow Palestinian violence against settlers. B'Tselem has documented many such acts, which have included blocking roads, throwing stones at cars and houses, making incursions into Palestinian villages and land, torching fields, uprooting trees, and other damage to property.

The term "price tag", coined by settlers, was explained in media interviews. For example, on 24 July '08, after Israeli security forces removed a bus that had been placed in the Adey Ad outpost, the head of the settlers' struggle headquarters in Yitzhar was quoted in Ha'aretz as saying, "the police have to understand that there will be a very high price tag on any event of this kind". He described the harm to Palestinians as "a display of good citizenship that is intended to help the police enforce the planning and building laws in the area on Palestinians, too". On 15 Nov. '08, after the Federman Farm outpost was evacuated, Eliezer Melamed, the rabbi of the Har Bracha settlement, was quoted in NRG as saying, "the price tag policy appears to be very effective and the security establishment is doing everything to break it".

B'Tselem's investigation of several incidents in which settlers violently raided Palestinian villages revealed that Israeli security forces intervened late, usually only when Palestinians began throwing stones at their attackers. The late response cannot be justified, as these incidents are part of a clear pattern and can therefore be predicted. The security forces must prepare in advance in a way that will enable them to prevent harm to Palestinians. Also, the government must make it clear to the security forces that mere presence at the scene is not enough, and that it is their duty to stop settlers who are committing violent acts by removing them from the spot and arresting them.

As the occupying power in the West Bank, Israel is obligated to maintain public order and to protect the safety of Palestinian residents. In a ruling regarding the security forces' duty to enable the olive harvest to be carried out undisturbed, the Supreme Court ruled that "protecting the security and property of the local residents is one of the most basic obligations placed upon the military commander in the field". The judges added that the defense establishment must "give clear, unequivocal instructions to the forces that are deployed in the field" and must also "allocate forces to protect the property of the Palestinian residents" (HCJ 9593/04 Murar et al. v. IDF Commander for Judea and Samaria et al.)