Gaza Herald – Washington and Paris have intensified criticism of settler violence in the occupied West Bank, demanding accountability after a European diplomatic delegation was attacked. The United States urged the Israeli government to take firm action to halt these incidents, while France called for the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for assaulting the diplomats.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed deep concern over the scenes of violence in the West Bank. He emphasized that Washington has repeatedly requested the Israeli government to implement strict measures to stop the attacks. His comments followed the assault on Heidi Levine, an American photographer for The Washington Post, who was beaten by settlers while covering attacks on Palestinian farmers.
Rubio stated that the attack on Levine was not an isolated incident, noting that the State Department had received complaints regarding other similar events. He clarified that President Donald Trump does not wish for the current situation to continue in the West Bank, adding that previous decisions to lift sanctions on settlers did not constitute approval of ongoing violence.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot condemned the attack on the diplomatic mission as horrific. He called on Israeli authorities to detain the settlers involved and hand them over to the judiciary. Barrot confirmed that Bernard Boudou, the seventy-eight-year-old mayor of Ollainville, was subjected to a violent assault during the incident.
The diplomatic delegation, which included representatives from France, Belgium, and Poland, was visiting the town of Taybeh east of Ramallah. Video footage showed masked settlers wielding sticks and stones, threatening vehicles and damaging windows. Barrot stressed the urgent need to end violence and ensure civilian safety in accordance with international law obligations.
Internal criticism within Israel also emerged, with Gadi Eisenkot, head of the Yesh Atid party, accusing the Netanyahu government of harboring what he termed Jewish terrorism. He warned that attacks on foreigners represent a political and security escalation that harms Israel’s international standing and national security.
According to the organization Yesh Din, which monitors violations in Palestinian territories, settlers were involved in at least one hundred and seventy attacks against Palestinians since September twenty-seventh. These incidents coincide with the annual olive harvest season, a period marked by increased tensions and violence in the region.
Official Palestinian data indicates approximately seven hundred and fifty thousand settlers reside in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, distributed across one hundred and ninety-four settlements and four hundred outpost locations. The surge in violence continues to disrupt agricultural activities and endanger local communities during this critical seasonal period.
This report was produced in the Gaza Herald newsroom.
