Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are in shock after Israeli settlers rampaged through a village overnight, killing a 23-year-old man and wounding several others in the latest incident of deadly violence against Palestinians in the area.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said Friday that Mahmoud Abdel Qader Sadda was fatally shot in the attack in Jit, in the northern West Bank, about 10 km west of Nablus.
Dozens of masked Israeli settlers stormed the village, opening fire on residents, setting cars on fire and destroying homes and other property, according to witnesses and video footage of the assault.
The attack comes amid a surge in violence by the Israeli army and settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, in the shadow of Israel’s war on the Gaza Strip.
Nearly 600 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank between the start of the Gaza war on October 7 and August 12, according to the latest figures from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Human rights groups have also criticized Israel for allowing its forces and settlers to operate with “endemic impunity” in their attacks on Palestinians.
The attack on Jit drew widespread condemnation from Palestinians as well as foreign leaders, including those in countries that continue to provide military and diplomatic support to Israel in the Gaza war.
Here are some reactions:
Palestinian Authority
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the attack, calling it an act of “organized state terrorism.”
“We demand the imposition of dissuasive sanctions against the racist colonial system, the dismantling of terrorist militias and the prosecution of their members,” he said in a statement.
Hamas
The Palestinian faction that governs Gaza offered its condolences to the man killed in Jit.
In a statement, Hamas said the attack was part of Israel’s “fascist extermination plans.”
“We call on our people in all West Bank governorates to rise up in anger to deter the settlers and repel their terrorist attacks,” the group said.
“Israel’s policy of incursions, assassinations and the unleashing of settler gangs will only increase our people’s attachment to their land and its holy places.”
Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it viewed “with the utmost severity the disturbances that took place” in Jit, “which included attacks on people and property by Israelis who entered the village.”
“It is the Israeli army and security forces that fight terrorism, and no one else. Those responsible for any violations will be apprehended and tried,” the statement said.
Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant also condemned the violence, which he attributed to “radical individuals.”
While our troops are fighting on the front lines to defend the State of Israel, a group of radical individuals have rioted and attacked innocent people. They do not represent the values of the communities living in Samaria.
I strongly condemn any form of…
– יואב גלנט – Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) August 15, 2024
UNITED STATES
A spokesman for the US National Security Council said that “violent settler attacks on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank are unacceptable and must stop.”
“Israeli authorities must take steps to protect all communities from harm, including intervening to end such violence and holding all perpetrators accountable,” the spokesperson said, as reported by US media.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew added in a social media post that attacks by Israeli settlers “must stop and the perpetrators must be held accountable.”
I am appalled by yesterday’s violent attack by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank. These attacks must stop and the perpetrators must be held accountable.
— Ambassador Jack Lew (@USAmbIsrael) August 16, 2024
European Union
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the Jit attack was “aimed at terrorising Palestinian civilians”.
“Day after day, with near-total impunity, Israeli settlers fuel violence in the occupied West Bank, contributing to jeopardizing any chance of peace,” he wrote on social media, urging Israel to “immediately cease these unacceptable actions.”
United Kingdom
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said he condemned the attack “in the strongest terms”.
“The scenes this night of burning and destruction of buildings, Molotov cocktails thrown at cars, widespread destruction and people being chased out of their homes are abhorrent,” he told reporters in Jerusalem alongside his French counterpart.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu said that an investigation would be opened quickly. I hope that this investigation will lead to the prosecution of the perpetrators of the violence committed by settlers over the past 24 hours.”
France
French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said that “any act that would destabilize” negotiation efforts – including to reach a ceasefire in Gaza – is “unacceptable.”
“We are very vigilant and attentive and we denounce this situation,” he said, recalling that France imposed sanctions against “violent settlers” earlier this year.
Germany
The German Foreign Ministry said: “The violence is unacceptable and the attacks must stop immediately.”
“Palestinians have the right to live in security. Israel has an obligation to protect Palestinians in the West Bank, to stop these attacks and to prosecute the perpetrators. There must be no impunity for such acts of violence,” he added.
We condemn the violence of extremist settlers who yesterday attacked and burned a Palestinian village in the West Bank, killing one Palestinian. This violence is unacceptable and the attacks must stop immediately.
— German Foreign Office (@GermanyDiplo) August 16, 2024
The United Nations
Ravina Shamdasani, a spokeswoman for the UN Human Rights Office, said the violence in Jit was “not an isolated attack”.
“This is a direct consequence of Israel’s settlement policy in the West Bank. We have denounced in recent years the attacks by settlers against Palestinian communities on their lands in the West Bank, with complete impunity,” Shamdasani told reporters.
“And that is the real problem: the impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators of such serious violations.”
She added that there had been “reports that Israeli security forces were standing by to intervene as attacks took place,” as well as reports that “weapons were being distributed to settlers.”
“So there is clearly a responsibility of the State in this regard.”
UN Special Rapporteur
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur for the occupied Palestinian territories, said sanctions must be imposed on Israel following the settler attack.
“It was time to act decades ago: since it hasn’t been done, this time has come,” she wrote on X.
“The violence of the settlers against #Palestinians is attributable to the State of #Israel and its central and local government.”
So #sanctions must be imposed on the State of Israel, not just on individual settlers and settlement products.
It was time to act decades ago: since it has not been done, it…— Francesca Albanese, UN Special Rapporteur for the Occupied Palestinian Territory (@FranceskAlbs) August 16, 2024
Peace Now
The Israeli group described the settlers’ rampage in Jit as a “pogrom.”
“This is pure, state-sponsored terrorism,” Peace Now on X said.
