Ramallah, 12 March: The European Union and the United Kingdom have urged Israel to act urgently to stop a recent surge in violence by Jewish settlers against Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, warning that continued attacks risk escalating tensions in the region.
According to the United Nations, at least six Palestinians have been killed in settler-related incidents across the West Bank in the past 11 days. The rise in violence has come amid heightened regional tensions following the outbreak of Israel’s conflict with Iran.
British officials said they were “appalled by the killings” and stressed that “settler violence which terrorises communities must be stopped.” The European Union also condemned the situation, saying the current level of violence is “unacceptable” and cautioning that impunity for such acts could trigger further instability.
Both the EU and UK called on Israeli authorities to ensure accountability and take immediate steps to prevent additional attacks on Palestinian communities.
The West Bank has seen growing tensions around Israeli settlements, which house roughly 700,000 Jews across about 160 communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The territories were captured by Israel during the 1967 Middle East war. Palestinians view the land — together with Gaza — as the basis for a future independent state.
Around 3.3 million Palestinians currently live in the West Bank alongside Israeli settlers. Most of the international community considers the settlements illegal under international law, a position Israel disputes.
Recent incidents have included a deadly attack on the Palestinian village of Khirbet Abu Falah, northeast of Ramallah, where three residents were killed after dozens of settlers reportedly entered the village before dawn. Witnesses said confrontations broke out when residents attempted to stop the raid.
In another case, Amir Shanaran, a 28-year-old Palestinian, was shot dead near Susya in the South Hebron Hills. His brother was seriously injured during the same incident, according to Palestinian health officials.
Earlier, two brothers — Mohammed Azem, 51, and Fahim Azem, 47 — were killed during an attack on the village of Qaryut, located between Ramallah and Nablus.
Israeli human rights organisation Yesh Din said it documented 109 incidents of settler violence across 62 Palestinian communities during the first 10 days of the conflict with Iran. The group warned that the attacks were occurring with “almost complete impunity,” a situation it said could contribute to the displacement of Palestinians from parts of the West Bank.
The Palestinian Authority condemned the violence, with Vice-President Hussein al-Sheikh describing the attacks as “a major escalation of settler terrorism” and urging the international community to impose “serious punitive measures” on those responsible.
Israel’s military said it views such incidents with “the utmost severity.” Maj Gen Avi Bluth, commander of the army’s Central Command responsible for the West Bank, stated that there would be “zero tolerance for civilians who take the law into their own hands” and that security agencies were working to identify and prosecute those involved.
The EU reiterated that Israel, as the occupying power, has an obligation under international law to protect Palestinian civilians in the territory and ensure that perpetrators of violence are held accountable.
