France, Germany, Italy, and the UK (E4) on Thursday decried the increase in Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, urging Israel’s government to take action to end it.
“We – France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom – strongly condemn the massive increase of settler violence against Palestinian civilians and call for stability in the West Bank,” the E4 said in a joint statement, warning that this violence threatens the 20-point peace plan for Gaza.
The four countries also urged the government of the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to hold perpetrators accountable and address the causes of the violence.
“We, ministers of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, call on the Government of Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and protect the Palestinian population of the occupied territories,” they said.
“We therefore urge the Government of Israel to hold those accountable who are responsible for those crimes and to prevent further violence by addressing the root causes of this behavior,” the statement added.
Israel has built about 160 settlements, housing some 700,000 Jews, since it occupied the West Bank and East Jerusalem in 1967.
Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October 2023, violence has escalated in the occupied West Bank, leading to the killing of over 1,000 Palestinians by Israeli troops or settlers. On the other hand, at least 44 Israelis have been killed in attacks or military operations, according to official Israeli figures.
On Wednesday, the Israeli military launched a “broad counterterrorism operation” in the northern West Bank, raiding several towns in Tubas region.
In their statement, the E4 reiterated opposition to any form of annexation, reaffirming commitment to a just and comprehensive resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, based on the two-state solution.
