EU says violence in West Bank ‘unacceptable,’ urges Israel to prevent settler attacks

ISTANBUL

The European Union said Tuesday that the level of violence in the occupied West Bank is “unacceptable” and urged Israeli authorities to take immediate action to prevent additional attacks against Palestinian civilians.

A EU spokesperson said that since Feb. 28, six Palestinians have been killed as a result of attacks by extremist Israeli settlers.

The violence has also affected numerous communities, with properties damaged, livelihoods destroyed and residents displaced from their homes, leaving many without shelter, according to a statement.

The EU urged Israeli authorities to take “immediate and effective action” to prevent further attacks and ensure accountability.

“Impunity for such acts risks provoking further violence,” said the spokesperson.

The bloc also urged Israel to comply with its obligations under international law to protect the Palestinian population in the occupied territory.

Violence in the West Bank has escalated since the start of the war in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 8, 2023, with Israeli forces and illegal Israeli settlers carrying out attacks that include killings, arrests, property destruction, home demolitions, displacement and settlement expansion.

The attacks have killed at least 1,121 Palestinians and injured 11,700, in addition to the arrest of nearly 22,000 Palestinians.

Palestinians warn that the violations could pave the way for Israel to formally annex the West Bank, effectively ending the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state as envisioned in UN resolutions.

The international community and the UN consider the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, an occupied Palestinian territory and view Israeli settlements there as illegal under international law.