Palestine Urges International Action to Stop Israeli Settler Attacks

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates once again condemned the ongoing attacks by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank and called on the international community to take action against what it described as crimes committed by Israel in the occupied territories.

In an official statement released Wednesday, the ministry urged global actors to confront the continuous violations carried out by Israeli security forces and settlers.

These crimes in the West Bank are taking place alongside the ongoing war of extermination in the Gaza Strip, the statement alleged.

“We call on the world to apply international law in the occupied Palestinian territory and to restore respect for United Nations Security Council resolutions,” the ministry emphasized.

The Palestinian leadership criticized the international response to Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank, deeming it inadequate and not proportionate to the severity of the crimes being committed against the Palestinian people.

Last week, Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the number of settlements in the West Bank increased from 128 to 178 since the far-right coalition government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took power at the end of 2022.

According to the report, not only have dozens of new settlements been established, but existing ones have also undergone significant expansion.

In the past two and a half years, over 41,700 housing units for Israelis have been approved in the West Bank, a figure that exceeds the total approved during the six years prior to the current administration, the outlet noted.

The Channel 12 report followed the release of a letter signed by 14 Israeli ministers and the speaker of the Knesset, urging Netanyahu to formally annex the region.

Palestinian officials strongly condemned the letter, denouncing it as part of Israel’s broader expansionist agenda.

Rawhi Fattouh, head of the Palestinian National Council, described the move as an extremely dangerous act aligned with the objectives of Israel’s right-wing colonial government.

“These demands are part of the all-out war being waged by the occupying authorities against our people and our land,” said Nabil Abu Rudeina, spokesperson for the Palestinian Authority.

According to official figures, more than 750,000 Israeli settlers now live in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, despite widespread international consensus that the area constitutes part of a future Palestinian state.