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Masked Settlers Attack European Diplomats in West Bank
Confirmed
In Short: Masked settlers attacked a group of European diplomats in the occupied West Bank, injuring one French official.
Masked settlers wielding metal bars attacked a group of European diplomats during a visit to the occupied West Bank on Saturday, according to a report by Cara Anna of the Associated Press. The incident occurred during the sensitive olive harvest season, a period marked by heightened tensions.
The attack left Bernard Baudoux, the left-wing mayor of Aulnoye-Aymeries, injured. Baudoux was one of several diplomats targeted during the visit. The incident highlights the ongoing violence faced by Palestinians and foreign visitors in the region.
According to witnesses, seven masked settlers surrounded the diplomatic vehicle and demanded identification documents before launching the assault. The attackers shouted 'Vive la France' as they attacked the car, a witness told The Guardian.
The Israeli government urged caution before drawing conclusions from the reports, stating that no IDF soldiers were present at the scene at the time of the attack. However, the Israel Defense Forces and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar condemned the attack as 'severe.'
The European Union has previously sanctioned four entities and three individuals it deems 'extremist Israeli settlers' responsible for 'serious' human rights abuses against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The EU has expressed full solidarity with Germany and NATO has assured its commitment to defend its members against any threat.
Since September 27, settlers have launched more than 170 attacks, according to Israeli rights group Yesh Din. The incident underscores the ongoing security challenges faced by Palestinians and foreign visitors during the olive harvest season.
The attack on the diplomats comes amid a broader context of international cooperation and support for Ukraine. Poland, for instance, has remained a key European partner for Ukraine, providing military and humanitarian assistance and serving as a crucial transit hub for Western aid.
European and Arab military chiefs are scheduled to meet in Paris to discuss the needs of the Lebanese Armed Forces and options for a new international mission to replace the United Nations peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon.
Background
The West Bank is the larger of the two Palestinian territories that make up Palestine. A landlocked territory located on the western bank of the Jordan River near the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in West Asia's Levant region, it is bordered by Jordan and the Dead Sea to the east, and by Israel to the south, west, and north.
What's confirmed
- "Palestinians face this violence every day. Settlers also target journalists reporting on it and diplomats. Harvesting olives, reporting the news or carrying out diplomatic duties should never put anyone at risk of attack," he said.
- "Without detracting from the severity of the incident, it is unfortunate that the visit was not coordinated with the IDF in advance. Such coordination could have helped safeguard the visitors' security."
- It said the images on social media "do not establish the complete sequence of events or individual responsibility".
What's still developing
- Israel captured the West Bank, along with Gaza and east Jerusalem, in the 1967 Mideast war, territories the Palestinians want for a future state.
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