ISTANBUL
Israeli occupiers' violence in the West Bank “is going into overdrive, it’s worse than ever,” Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide told CNN on Wednesday.
“Settler violence (is taking place), settler activity, even supported by the Israeli government, allowing settlers to take full control of territories that legally is Palestine and which even agreements that Israel has signed have recognized as to be controlled by Palestinians,” he said.
Eide added that while global attention has focused on Gaza, developments in the West Bank have intensified.
“A lot of bad things have happened on the West Bank, and now it is going into overdrive. It's worse than ever,” he said.
He noted that the situation undermines Palestinian institutions and violates existing agreements.
“It’s a clear violation of UN principles and agreements that Israel and Palestine have signed,” he said.
Eide also warned of broader consequences if the situation persists.
“In the long run, it could leave more space for the extremists when they see no progress in a more peaceful approach,” the top diplomat added.
Since the start of the Gaza war on Oct. 8, 2023, attacks by Israeli forces and illegal settlers in the West Bank have killed at least 1,133 Palestinians, injured about 11,700 others, and led to the arrest of roughly 22,000 people.
In a landmark opinion in July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.