Israel's president has condemned an "unacceptable" attack by settlers on Palestinian villages in the West Bank, as violence continues to surge amid growing tensions.
In a statement, President Isaac Herzog described the Tuesday attacks on Beit Lid and Deir Sharaf as "shocking and serious", adding that they were carried out by a "handful" of perpetrators. He called for authorities to take decisive action to eradicate the phenomenon of settler violence and protect Palestinian civilians.
The incident marked the latest escalation in a wave of settler violence that has claimed over 1,000 Palestinian lives in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since Gaza conflict began two years ago. Human rights groups have long warned that such violence is taking place in a "permissive environment" with the backing of key Israeli ministers.
The UN human rights office said settlers were seeking to accelerate displacement of Palestinians from their land, raising concerns of forcible transfer. In October, the deadliest month for settler violence since 2006, 260 attacks took place.
Despite growing condemnations from international organizations and critics, settler violence continues to be ignored by Israeli officials, who have rarely addressed its contravention of Israeli and international law.
The Israeli military acknowledged soldiers responded to Tuesday's attack, causing settlers to flee to a nearby industrial zone. The police also arrested four settlers involved in the attacks, which is rare given that settlers generally go unpunished.
Critics point to the far-right makeup of the current Israeli government, including finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, both prominent leaders in the settler movement. Human rights groups have accused the government of standing by as settlers carry out widespread attacks against Palestinians.
The latest violence has sparked an international outcry, with condemnation pouring in from human rights organizations and governments worldwide. The UN human rights office said it was "extremely rare" for Israeli authorities to investigate violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, and that in those cases, there had been no progress in bringing perpetrators to justice.
In a statement, President Isaac Herzog described the Tuesday attacks on Beit Lid and Deir Sharaf as "shocking and serious", adding that they were carried out by a "handful" of perpetrators. He called for authorities to take decisive action to eradicate the phenomenon of settler violence and protect Palestinian civilians.
The incident marked the latest escalation in a wave of settler violence that has claimed over 1,000 Palestinian lives in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since Gaza conflict began two years ago. Human rights groups have long warned that such violence is taking place in a "permissive environment" with the backing of key Israeli ministers.
The UN human rights office said settlers were seeking to accelerate displacement of Palestinians from their land, raising concerns of forcible transfer. In October, the deadliest month for settler violence since 2006, 260 attacks took place.
Despite growing condemnations from international organizations and critics, settler violence continues to be ignored by Israeli officials, who have rarely addressed its contravention of Israeli and international law.
The Israeli military acknowledged soldiers responded to Tuesday's attack, causing settlers to flee to a nearby industrial zone. The police also arrested four settlers involved in the attacks, which is rare given that settlers generally go unpunished.
Critics point to the far-right makeup of the current Israeli government, including finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, both prominent leaders in the settler movement. Human rights groups have accused the government of standing by as settlers carry out widespread attacks against Palestinians.
The latest violence has sparked an international outcry, with condemnation pouring in from human rights organizations and governments worldwide. The UN human rights office said it was "extremely rare" for Israeli authorities to investigate violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, and that in those cases, there had been no progress in bringing perpetrators to justice.
! Settler violence is like, super problematic, you know? These attacks are happening left and right, and nobody's doing anything about it 
. The fact that the Israeli government is still turning a blind eye to all this settler violence is just, like, wow... I mean, what's going on over there?! 
. And the UN human rights office saying that investigating settler violence against Palestinians is "extremely rare"? That's just a fact, not an opinion 
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. It feels like they're stuck in a cycle of violence and no one's really doing anything to stop it. I mean, the president saying that settler violence is unacceptable and calling for action just isn't enough, you know? There needs to be some real change from the government and its ministers who are basically backing this stuff up.
gotta be a safer place 4 everyone 
they're settler movement leaders & now dey r part of the gov lol wut kinda crazy talk iz dis?! 
u feel me? 
. far-right gov't is all about protecting settler rights over Palestinian lives, it's a disgusting cycle of violence 
. Meanwhile, the Israeli military is more concerned with protecting settlers than Palestinian civilians 
. We need to hold our gov accountable for not doing enough to prevent these attacks 
. It's not just about international pressure; it's about internal change 
. The current system is just perpetuating this cycle of violence, and we can't afford to sit on the sidelines 
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. i mean, the gov is all like "we don't care" about settler violence, which is like, totally unacceptable 
. human rights groups have been sayin this 4eva, but no one's listenin 
. its like they r more concerned w/ settler rights than ppl rights 
️, not just condemn it from afar 
bezalel smotrich and itamar ben gvir are literally setting the world on fire with their settler movement 
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i'm literally shook rn anyway back to this news like what is going on with israel and palestine? it seems like the violence is getting worse and no one's doing anything about it 
, gotta do something about it ASAP 
. And what's with the lack of accountability? Like, where are these settlers going to face justice when they've clearly broken international law? It's not like it's rocket science 
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. Why do people have to resort to violence like that? 
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Like, maybe a 
or 
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