Palestine condemns Israeli settler attack on European diplomats in West Bank

RAMALLAH — Palestine called for urgent international action Saturday after Israeli settlers attacked a delegation of European diplomats and Catholic Church representatives near the town of Taybeh, east of Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank.The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the incident as further evidence of “organized settler terrorism,” accusing the Israeli government of protecting perpetrators and fostering a climate of impunity.According to the ministry, the delegation included the French and Belgian consuls, a Polish representative and Catholic Church officials.The attackers also assaulted a French mayor and damaged a Belgian consular vehicle, the ministry said.Footage broadcast by Israeli media showed masked settlers carrying sticks and stones, threatening occupants of the delegation’s vehicles. One vehicle was seen with a shattered window.Israeli Army Radio reported that seven masked attackers arrived in off-road vehicles, surrounded a diplomatic vehicle and demanded identification from its occupants before smashing a window of a Belgian consular vehicle.Despite receiving the delegation’s location and footage of the incident within minutes, Israeli soldiers and police did not arrive at the scene for three hours, according to the report.The Israeli military described the attack as a “serious violent incident” but said the delegation had not coordinated its visit in advance and that no troops were present at the scene.The Palestinian Foreign Ministry urged the international community to take concrete measures to protect Palestinians and foreign diplomatic representatives and ensure accountability for those responsible.It accused Israeli authorities of enabling settler violence through a lack of effective enforcement and accountability.Palestinian Vice President Hussein Al-Sheikh also condemned the attack, saying it reflected the violence Palestinians face daily in the occupied West Bank.He called for a firm international response to escalating settler attacks.The incident comes amid a rise in settler violence during the annual olive harvest season, which began earlier this month.The Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission reported 40 attacks and violations by Israeli forces and settlers against Palestinian farmers, agricultural land and olive crops on Saturday alone.