Western Diplomatic Missions Condemn 'Settler Terrorism' and Hold Israel Responsible for Protecting Palestinians

A group of Western diplomatic missions operating in the cities of Jerusalem and Ramallah expressed their strong condemnation of the escalating waves of violence carried out by settler groups against Palestinian citizens in the occupied West Bank. In a joint statement issued on Saturday, these missions affirmed that what is happening falls under the framework of systematic 'terrorism' aimed at intimidating peaceful residents and undermining their stability in their lands.

International missions held the Israeli occupation authorities fully legally responsible for what is happening, considering them the occupying power under international law. Western diplomats expressed their deep alarm at the significant increase in the rates of Palestinian killings in recent weeks, emphasizing the need to rein in 'settler militias' that seek to impose a new geographical reality by seizing land and forcibly displacing residents.

The statement called on the Israeli authorities to take immediate action to prevent these deadly attacks and prosecute those involved in the raids and assaults targeting Palestinian villages and towns. Diplomats pointed out that protecting Palestinian communities is not an option but a legal obligation on Israel, warning against the continuation of the impunity policy that encourages settlers to persist in their violence.

In a related context, official data issued by the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission revealed that settlers carried out more than 511 attacks in February alone. Sources indicated that these attacks resulted in the martyrdom of 7 Palestinians by settler bullets since the end of the same month, reflecting a dangerous shift in the nature of attacks, which now directly and intensively use live ammunition against civilians.

Cumulative statistics since the start of the aggression on the Gaza Strip in October 2023 indicate that attacks by the army and settlers in the West Bank have led to the martyrdom of 1133 Palestinians and the injury of approximately 11,700 others. Arrest campaigns also affected nearly 22,000 citizens, coinciding with widespread demolition operations of homes and facilities aimed at accelerating the pace of settlement expansion in the occupied territories, including East Jerusalem.

This violence perpetrated by settler militias, which aims to seize land and create a coercive environment to force Palestinians to leave their homes, must end.