Log in
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian civilians, European diplomats and a French mayor in the occupied West Bank on Saturday, Belgium's foreign minister said.
asserted
minister → log → Saturday
Maxime Prevot said Belgium's consul general to the Palestinians, French and Polish diplomats, and Catholic representatives were among those attacked.
asserted
general → say → those
A Belgian vehicle was also damaged, he said.
asserted
he → damage → ?
"As the occupying power, Israeli authorities must protect Palestinians, ensure the safety of diplomats and journalists, and bring those responsible to justice.
asserted
authorities → occupy → justice
Impunity for violent settlers must end," Prevot said in a statement posted on X.
The United States wants Israel to do more to deter attacks committed by settlers in the West Bank, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Saturday.
asserted
Rubio → end → Saturday
"We're very disturbed by those images and what we're seeing," Rubio said.
asserted
Rubio → disturb → what
"We've asked the Israelis and continue to ask them to crack down on that stuff."
asserted
We → ask → stuff
Bernard Baudoux, mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries in northern France, told Reuters he had been harvesting olives near the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh in solidarity with the local community when he was "violently attacked" by masked settlers.
asserted
he → tell → settlers
"I was thrown to the ground," he said.
asserted
he → throw → ground
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the attack, describing the perpetrators as Israeli rioters.
asserted
Saar → condemn → rioters
He also suggested the diplomats should have coordinated their visit with the Israeli military.
uncertain
diplomats → suggest → military
"Such coordination could have helped safeguard the visitors’ security," he said in a statement on X.
Palestinian Vice President Hussein al-Sheikh condemned the attack, calling it a small example of the "daily terrorism" to which Palestinians are subjected.
Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have periodically condemned settler violence, while saying it is carried out by a small minority.
uncertain
it → help → minority
Palestinians and human rights groups dispute that characterisation.
asserted
Palestinians → dispute → characterisation
Settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank have surged over the past three years.
asserted
attacks → surge → years
Journalists, activists and foreign observers have also been targeted.
asserted
Journalists → target → ?
On Friday, dozens of masked settlers attacked Palestinians harvesting olives in the West Bank.
asserted
dozens → attack → Bank
Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine, a US citizen covering the harvest, was hospitalised after being assaulted by masked settlers.
asserted
Levine → cover → settlers
"Palestinians face this violence every day.
asserted
Palestinians → face → violence
Settlers also target journalists reporting on it and diplomats.
asserted
Settlers → target → it
Harvesting olives, reporting the news or carrying out diplomatic duties should never put anyone at risk of attack," Prevot said.
asserted
Prevot → harvest → attack
Belgium, which has announced a ban on imports from Israeli settlements in the West Bank and the Golan Heights, will press for European Union sanctions "against those responsible for this violence and those who support them," he added.
asserted
he → announce → them
Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maciej Wewior said on X that a convoy carrying diplomats, including Polish officials, had been attacked.
asserted
convoy → say → officials
"Attacks on members of the diplomatic corps are absolutely unacceptable," he said.
asserted
he → say → corps
Israeli police said they had opened an investigation into the incident.
asserted
they → say → incident
Prosecutions of settlers accused of violent crimes against Palestinians in the West Bank are rare.
asserted
Prosecutions → accuse → Bank
The Aporia
