World News Today: International News Headlines - The Hindu | The Hindu
· collected 2026-09-05 · by Agencies
U.S. Ambassador Mike Huckabee called for "severe consequences" to stop violence in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, meeting with Palestinian families affected by settler attacks. He visited Turmus Ayya, a town near Ramallah where settlers have repeatedly attacked residents, and said that violent settlers represent a minority of the wider settler community, which numbers around 750,000. According to the town's mayor, about 80% of its roughly 3,000 residents are Palestinian Americans who are seeking security from the Ambassador. Huckabee declined to criticize Israel during his meeting with reporters.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-06,
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Leaning score -0.35 for article 5102 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-09-06
The U.S. Ambassador to Israel on Saturday (September 5, 2026) called for “severe consequences” to stop violence in the occupied West Bank as he met with Palestinians on Saturday (September 5), including the families of U.S. citizens killed by Israeli settlers, in a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank that has been the target of repeated settler attacks.
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that → call → attacks
When people do it, they should expect that they will have severe consequences,” Mike Huckabee told reporters as he visited the West Bank town of Turmus Ayya, which has a high number of U.S. citizens.
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which → do → citizens
However, he declined to criticise Israel.
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he → decline → Israel
Settler violence in the West Bank has risen sharply since Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition government, the most right-wing in Israel’s history, took office in late 2022.
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government → rise → 2022
Several settlements have been established around Turmus Ayya, the Palestinian town near Ramallah that Huckabee was visiting on Saturday.
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Huckabee → establish → Saturday
Its residents say that harassment by militant Israeli settlers is common and that they are unable to stop them from entering the town and damaging their homes.
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they → say → homes
“We have many issues that we will address,” Nawwaf Zaghoul, the town’s mayor, told reporters ahead of the meeting, describing what he said were constant attacks by settlers.
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he → have → settlers
He said that the town’s residents would be asking the Ambassador to help secure their safety and security.
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residents → say → safety
About 80% of the town’s roughly 3,000 residents were Palestinian Americans, he said.
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he → say → residents
Mr. Huckabee, a Baptist minister and longtime supporter of Israeli settlements, has called for violent settlers to be prosecuted, while saying he believes their actions represent a minority of the wider settler community, which numbers around 750,000.
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which → call → 750,000
Israeli settlers accused of carrying out attacks in the West Bank targeting Palestinians are rarely prosecuted.
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settlers → accuse → Palestinians
“We are hoping that [the ambassador] will do something for us regarding these lawless settlers,” Turmus Ayya resident Sameer Hazama said ahead of the meeting with the ambassador.
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Hazama → hop → ambassador
Mr. Huckabee visited Taybeh, one of the only Christian villages remaining in the West Bank, in June 2025 after a church there was vandalised.
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church → visit → June
He said at the time that the desecration of a place of worship was an act of terror and a crime.
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desecration → say → terror
Mr. Netanyahu’s government has also overseen an expansion of settlements across the West Bank, further entrenching Israeli control over territory that Palestinians seek for a future state.
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Palestinians → oversee → state
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law, with the United Nations and most countries deeming the territory to be occupied.
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territory → deem → law
Israel’s government says that the land is disputed, not occupied.
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land → say → ?
Mr. Huckabee refers to the West Bank by its biblical name, Judea and Samaria, a term used by the Israeli government but not adopted by the U.S. government.
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Huckabee → refer → government
He has visited Shiloh, a settlement near Turmus Ayya, at least twice since 2025.
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He → visit → 2025
