Attacks in the West Bank: German ambassador calls for prosecution of settler violence

Attacks in the West Bank
German ambassador calls for prosecution of settler violence

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Right-wing extremist settlers in the West Bank attack Palestinians who are working in their olive groves. They also attack human rights activists who have come with them for protection. A young German is among those injured.

The German ambassador to Israel, Steffen Seibert, has condemned an attack by radical settlers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. “International and Israeli activists, including a German citizen, were attacked by extremist settlers in the West Bank while they were peacefully helping Palestinians in their olive groves,” the diplomat wrote on X. “These attacks represent well-documented criminal behavior and must be prosecuted using all legal means.” Seibert posted a video that is said to show the attack.

According to media reports, the incident occurred on Sunday in the village of Kusra near the Palestinian city of Nablus. A group of volunteers had accompanied Palestinian farmers to their olive groves. The volunteers wanted to ensure greater security and protection for the Palestinians through their presence. In the video, which was recorded by the activist group, masked men can be seen hitting them with wooden sticks. Several of the victims, including a young German, were subsequently treated in Nablus hospital.

Role of the Israeli army unclear

The “Tagesschau” and the US broadcaster CNN, among others, reported on the incident, and their reporters spoke to the victims. The Israeli army confirmed the attack to CNN. It said it had fired warning shots into the air at the scene and condemned all violence in principle. The activists, however, reportedly said that the military had fired shots in the direction of a Palestinian.

Since the beginning of the war between Israel and the Islamist Hamas in the Gaza Strip on October 7 last year, the violence of militant settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank has increased significantly. The settlers repeatedly set fire to houses and cars, destroy fields and olive groves and attack Palestinian residents. At the same time, militant Palestinians have also increased their activities. They engage in battles with the Israeli army or attack settlements.

In the Six-Day War in 1967, Israel conquered the West Bank and East Jerusalem, among other areas. Today, around 700,000 Israeli settlers live there among three million Palestinians. Just last Friday, the International Court of Justice in The Hague declared the Israeli occupation and settlement construction illegal in a non-binding legal opinion.

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