The governments of Italy and Canada have expressed alarm about the treatment of their citizens who were assaulted and robbed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
Particulars Surrounding the Violent Incident
A group comprising three Italians and one Canadian were assaulted in the pre-dawn hours of Sunday in the village of Ein al-Duyuk, near Jericho. They were serving to help protect the Palestinian population from escalating violence by settlers.
“At 4.30am on 30 November, 10 masked settlers, some armed with military-style rifles, burst into the home where we were resting after a night shift,” said the Canadian national.
All four were hospitalised and one, an Italian man, was continuing to undergo treatment in Ramallah on Monday for more serious wounds.
Rising Tensions in Ein al-Duyuk
The frequency and severity of attacks in this area have risen dramatically over the past two months. This coincides with the establishment of a settler outpost nearby and the arrival of young and aggressive settlers.
Activists say that aggressive acts have become an routine event. Attacks have included settler mobs forcibly entering houses, beating villagers, and taking sheep, vehicles, and destroying solar panels.
International Law and Government Reactions
While all settlements on land seized in 1967 are considered unlawful by the international community, unauthorized outposts are also against Israeli domestic statutes. The village is located within Area A of the West Bank, a zone meant to be administered of the Palestinian Authority.
Canada's Department of Global Affairs stated it “strongly condemns the violent acts committed by extremist settlers and is against any measures or talk about absorbing Palestinian land.”
Italy's top diplomat, Antonio Tajani, told reporters: “We cannot tolerate of this hostility. This is not the way for anyone to assert their rights.”
Lack of Intervention and Broader Context
Residents and advocates report there has been no meaningful police intervention to halt the assaults or remove the illegal settlement. Leading members of the Israeli governing coalition are vocal backers of West Bank settlers.
United Nations data indicates that Israeli settlers and security forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians, including hundreds of minors, in the West Bank over the past two years.
Voice of the Volunteers
The Canadian volunteer added that, notwithstanding the violence, she felt the presence of volunteers in the village had been meaningful.
“The residents felt more confident while we were present,” she said. “The children played freely. People slept through the night. Just that made our presence justified.”
A local organizer involved with groups that bring in international observers said the new outpost has brought in ideologically driven settlers who appear to be part of a coordinated network.
