Alexandre Stutzmann, the EU Representative to the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and UNRWA, said, on Tuesday 14 April, that the situation of Palestinians in the West Bank had deteriorated since the start of the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran, on 28 February.
“Since the war, the trends have only worsened. The settler violence has doubled in intensity. Since 28 February, 17 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by settlers or Israeli forces”, explained Mr Stutzmann, by video-conference, to the European Parliament’s Subcommittee on Human Rights. He added that this violence took place with complete impunity, with only 3% of those prosecuted being sentenced.
The ambassador called on all parties - Israelis and Palestinians - to respect the rule of law.
Even before 28 February, the situation in the West Bank was very complicated, said the ambassador, but also Solomon Frank Sacco, representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Deputy Director of the Al Haq organisation, Tahseen Alayan. They cited settler violence, expulsions, the announcement of new settlements and population displacements.
Mr Sacco called on the international community to act on the 2024 decision of the International Court of Justice. “The Israeli presence in the West Bank is illegal and cannot continue. This is what must guide our response to the humanitarian crisis in the West Bank. Annexation is not a threat, it is a reality, and the international community must mobilise”, he warned. In his view, faced with a situation that is “shocking”, it is necessary to “take action, apply all the pressure necessary to put an end to Israeli practices and ensure that the Palestinians, individually and collectively, see their rights respected”.
Mr Alayan “simply” called for international law to be applied, respected and enforced. “The association agreement is part of this. Sanctions must be imposed on Israel. If you do not do it, it is because there is no political will”, he added, describing the situation in the West Bank as “a slow-burning genocide”.
Sanctions against violent settlers have been blocked for months by Hungary, but the situation could change with the arrival of a new government. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)