Israeli settlers and the IDF are stepping up violent land grabs across the West Bank, a grim turn for Palestinians who are being pushed off their land.

• Settlers have taken over most of Area C and are now pushing into Areas A and B, land that is supposed to be Palestinian-controlled.
• With elections coming, settlers are racing to grab as much land as possible before the government might change.
• The pattern is clear: settlers provoke a clash, the response gets called terrorism, the military moves in, and new settlements get legalized.
• A recent deadly clash near the village of Tel left six dead, and Israel now admits one of the two Israelis was likely killed by friendly fire, not Palestinians.
• The idea of a "liberal" Israeli alternative is called a fantasy — opposition figure Eisenkot backs the settlers too and rejects a two-state solution.

Outlook: Expect more settler raids and fast-tracked settlements as the land grab accelerates before the vote.