In a unified international stance, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom issued a strongly worded joint statement condemning the alarming escalation of attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank. This statement follows disturbing reports from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which documented 264 attacks in October alone, the highest monthly figure recorded since data collection began in 2006.
Historical background and context of escalation
The roots of settler violence can be traced back to decades of Israeli occupation of the West Bank since 1967. Israeli settlements, home to hundreds of thousands of settlers, are illegal under international law, specifically the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits an occupying power from transferring its own population into the territory it occupies. These attacks, ranging from the destruction of crops and land confiscation to home invasions and physical assaults, have long been a major source of friction and instability. However, recent times have witnessed an unprecedented escalation of these attacks, creating an environment of fear and intimidation aimed at displacing Palestinians from their land, particularly in Area C, which is under full Israeli control.
The importance of the European position and its repercussions
The foreign ministers of the four European countries affirmed in their statement that the continuation of this violence not only threatens local stability but also directly undermines international efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace based on a two-state solution. The statement called on the Israeli government to uphold its responsibilities under international law, which obligate it to protect the Palestinian civilian population in the occupied territories, and stressed the need to hold perpetrators of violence accountable and bring them to justice.
The condemnation was not limited to individual acts of violence, but also included official settlement policies. The statement expressed its categorical rejection of all forms of annexation and settlement activity, specifically criticizing the approval of the controversial E1 settlement project and the authorization of thousands of new settlement units since the beginning of the year, describing it as “an unprecedented level that demands immediate reversal.”.
Economic and political impact
The European statement also addressed the economic pressures facing the Palestinian Authority, criticizing Israel’s decision to withhold Palestinian tax revenues. The four countries called for the immediate release of these funds, emphasizing their vital importance in supporting essential public services for the Palestinian people and preventing the collapse of the already fragile economy. In closing, the European countries reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to the two-state solution as “the only path to a just and lasting peace,” reflecting growing international concern that unilateral actions on the ground are making this solution increasingly elusive.
