On the evening of Tuesday 10 March, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service called on the Israeli authorities to take immediate and effective measures to prevent further attacks on Palestinian civilians, denouncing an “unacceptable” level of violence in the West Bank.
In a press release, the spokesperson pointed out that since 28 February, six Palestinians had been killed in attacks by extremist settlers in the West Bank. In addition, many communities have been attacked, property damaged and livelihoods destroyed, forcing people from their homes and leaving them homeless.
The spokesperson also called on Israel to ensure that those responsible are held to account. “Impunity for such acts risks provoking further violence”, he warned. And he added that: “The EU urges the Government of Israel to abide by its obligations under international law to protect the Palestinian population in the occupied territory”.
Restrictive European measures against violent settlers and their supporters have been on the table of the EU Council for months, but have been blocked by Hungary. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)