Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide Decries Israeli Settler Violence in West Bank
NORWAY – The Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide on Wednesday expressed concern over the rise in Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank, calling it a clear violation of UN agreements signed by Israel and Palestine.
“Settler violence, settler activity, even supported by the Israeli government, allowing settlers to take full control of territories that legally is Palestine and which even agreements that Israel has signed have recognized as to be controlled by Palestinians,” he said.
Eide added that while global attention has focused on Gaza, developments in the West Bank have intensified.
“A lot of bad things have happened on the West Bank, and now it’s going into overdrive. It’s worse than ever,” he said.
He noted that the situation undermines Palestinian institutions and violates existing agreements.
“It’s a clear violation of UN principles and agreements that Israel and Palestine have signed,” he said.
Eide also warned of broader consequences if the situation persists.
“In the long run, it could leave more space for the extremists when they see no progress in a more peaceful approach,” the top diplomat added.
Israeli Settlers Injure Several in West Bank
Several Palestinians, including an elderly man, were injured early Thursday in an attack by Israeli occupiers in the northern West Bank, a local official said.
Moataz Basharat, who monitors Israeli settlement activity in Tubas governorate, said occupiers attacked Palestinian residents in the Safh Tayasir area, northeast of Tubas, injuring several people.
Some of the wounded were taken to a hospital for treatment, Basharat said.
Images and video showed an elderly Palestinian man soaked in blood and suffering bruises to his head and face after the attack.
Basharat said the same area has witnessed repeated attacks by Israeli occupants in recent weeks, amid an escalation in assaults on Palestinians and their property.
About 750,000 Israeli occupiers live in hundreds of settlements across the occupied West Bank, including around 250,000 in East Jerusalem.
Occupiers carry out frequent attacks on Palestinians, which rights groups say aim to force their displacement.
Since the start of the Gaza war on Oct. 8, 2023, attacks by Israeli forces and illegal settlers in the West Bank have killed at least 1,133 Palestinians, injured about 11,700 others, and led to the arrest of roughly 22,000 people.
In a landmark opinion in July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
