EU, 14 countries say settler violence ‘unacceptable,’ blast ‘environment of impunity’

15 December 2023, 3:08 pm 6 Edit

A demolished village council building in the abandoned Palestinian village of Khirbet Zanuta, funded in part by the EU, as well as other foreign governments. The demolition of the structure comes following threats by local extremists settlers against former residents of the village not to return, December 4, 2023. (Courtesy Southern Mount Hebron Activists group)

The EU and 14 countries including the UK, Australia, Canada and France urge Israel in a joint statement “to take immediate and concrete steps to tackle record-high settler violence in the occupied West Bank,” saying ongoing attacks are “unacceptable.”

The statement warns of “grave concern about the record number of attacks by extremist settlers,” particularly since October 7.

“Israel, as the occupying power, must protect the Palestinian civilian population in the West Bank,” it says. “Israel’s failure to protect Palestinians and prosecute extremist settlers has led to an environment of near complete impunity in which settler violence has reached unprecedented levels.”

It says “settlers have committed more than 343 violent attacks, killing 8 Palestinian civilians, injuring more than 83, and forcing 1026 Palestinians from their homes.”

The countries say Israeli statements against such violence are welcome, but words “must now be translated into action.”