US condemns West Bank settler attacks, demands halt after fatality

'Israel authorities must take measures to protect all communities from harm and violence' NSC spokesperson says

WASHINGTON:

 

The White House said Thursday that attacks carried out by "violent settlers" on Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank "are unacceptable and must stop" after one person was killed during a mob attack on a small Palestinian village.

"Attacks by violent settlers against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank are unacceptable and must stop," a National Security Council spokesperson told Anadolu on condition of anonymity.

"Israeli authorities must take measures to protect all communities from harm. This includes intervening to stop such violence and holding all perpetrators of such violence to account," the spokesperson added.

According to eyewitnesses, illegal Israeli settlers stormed the town of Jit, situated along the main road between Nablus and Qalqilya, Thursday evening, opening fire on residents, pelting stones at homes and setting fire to at least one house and several vehicles. One person was killed in the mayhem.

The witnesses also said that Israeli forces provided protection to the settlers and prevented Palestinian civil defense vehicles from entering the town.

Citing an Israeli security source, Israel’s Army Radio reported that more than 100 settlers stormed the town.

The source said the settlers set fire to four homes and six vehicles owned by Palestinians while hurling stones and Molotov cocktails at residents and their property.

“The incident ended without any arrests, while several Palestinians suffered from inhalation of tear gas” fired by Israeli soldiers, it added.

Over the past few years, the Israeli military has conducted regular raids in the West Bank, which have escalated with the beginning of the war on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 632 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 5,400 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Health Ministry.

In a landmark advisory opinion on July 19, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land "illegal" and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.