A Palestinian man was killed and several people were injured after dozens of Israeli settlers went on the rampage and attacked a village in the occupied West Bank, sparking widespread condemnation.
The Palestinian Health Ministry said Friday that Mahmoud Abdel Qader Sadda, 23, was shot dead and another Palestinian suffered serious gunshot wounds to the chest in the attack in the village of Jit, east of Qalqilya.
Dozens of masked Israeli settlers, some armed, threw stones and Molotov cocktails during their attack on the village, setting several cars on fire and destroying property. They also attacked the town of Huwara.
Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank has increased since Israel began its war on Gaza in October.
Between October 7 and August 12 this year, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) recorded some 1,250 attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, resulting in at least 120 deaths and 1,000 property damages.
The Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now called the latest attacks “pure settler terrorism – state-sponsored, sponsored by our government.”
The Mistaclim organization, made up of Israelis opposed to the occupation of Palestinian territory, declared that “contrary to what has been published in the media, this is not a nationalist event but a terrorist attack.”
‘Unacceptable’
The White House said the settler attacks were “unacceptable and must stop.”
US Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew strongly criticized the violent attack. “These attacks must stop and the perpetrators must be held accountable,” he said on the social network X.
The United States has often condemned such attacks, but has not taken concrete steps to punish the accused settlers, many of whom hold dual U.S. citizenship.
Josep Borrell, the European Union’s foreign policy chief, urged Israel to immediately end the “unacceptable actions” of settlers, confirming his intention to introduce proposed sanctions against “enablers of violent settlers”, including members of the Israeli government.
“Day after day, with near-total impunity, Israeli settlers fuel violence in the occupied West Bank, helping to jeopardize any chance of peace,” he wrote on X.
Germany and France also condemned the violence, calling it “unacceptable.”
“Palestinians have the right to live in security. Israel has an obligation to protect Palestinians in the West Bank,” the German Foreign Ministry said on X.
French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne said that “any action likely to jeopardize the negotiation process for a ceasefire agreement is unacceptable.”
Francesca Albanese, the UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, said that “sanctions must be imposed” on the Israeli government for the violence.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said those involved in the attacks would be held accountable for their actions to the fullest extent of the law, according to a statement from his office. The Israeli military said it was investigating.
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the attacks were “in no way connected to the settlement and the settlers.”
“These are criminals who must be dealt with by law enforcement authorities with the full severity of the law,” he posted on X.
Smotrich has pushed for more Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank – which are illegal under international law.
Reporting from Amman, Jordan, Tel Aviv Tribune’s Hamdah Salhut noted the “change in tone from Smotrich, who is a known ultranationalist who himself lives in an illegal settlement and is often an advocate for these armed groups.”
Salhut said such attacks are often “carried out under the protection of the Israeli army, and Palestinians in the occupied West Bank are left defenseless.”
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the “collective armed attack” amounted to “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,” the statement said.
Hamas said the attack was part of Israel’s “fascist extermination plans”, calling on the West Bank to “rise up in anger”.
“The policy of incursions, assassinations and the unleashing of settler bands carried out by Israel will only increase our people’s attachment to their land and its holy places,” he added.