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Masked settlers attack European diplomats in occupied West Bank
The Guardian • • world
Key Points:
- Masked Israeli settlers attacked European diplomats, including Belgium’s consul general and French and Polish representatives, during a visit to the occupied West Bank village of Taybeh amid the olive harvest season.
- Since the olive harvest began, at least four Palestinians have been killed and over 100 injured in attacks, with activists accusing Israeli authorities of insufficient intervention against settler violence.
- Belgium’s foreign minister condemned the attacks, linking them to Israel’s settlement policies and calling for an end to settler impunity and for further EU sanctions.
- Israeli authorities described the attack as a “severe act of violence,” opened an investigation, and condemned the violence, while noting the diplomatic visit was uncoordinated with the military.
- The incidents occur ahead of contentious Israeli elections, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s nationalist government facing criticism over security and its treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
