Key facts
- Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin stated that Israeli settler violence and settlement expansion are intertwined elements of an illegal colonial project.
- Shahin asserted that settler terrorism has evolved into a tool for systematic demographic change, with impunity becoming official policy.
- She rejected the idea that settler attacks are isolated incidents, pointing to their scale, organization, and political backing since 2023.
- The minister highlighted that Israel, as the occupying power, has a legal responsibility under international humanitarian law to protect Palestinian civilians.
- Shahin called for accountability for those responsible for settler attacks and demanded the disarmament of settler militias.
- In the West Bank, a family's farm was vandalized, with olive trees uprooted, attributed to increased settler aggression linked to new outposts.
Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs Varsen Aghabekian Shahin has asserted that Israeli settler violence and the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank are not separate issues but rather "two complementary pillars of Israel's illegal colonial project" aimed at seizing Palestinian land.
Shahin stated that settler violence has become a primary driving force for settlement expansion and a means of seizing Palestinian land, while "settler terrorism" has evolved into a tool for systematic demographic change. She argued that impunity for these acts has become official policy, supported by countries providing Israel with weapons, diplomatic cover, and using their veto power in the UN Security Council.
She rejected characterizations of settler attacks as isolated incidents by extremists, citing the scale, organization, and political backing of these actions, particularly since 2023, as indicative of a broader pattern. Shahin also criticized attempts to portray Israel as a victim, noting that Palestinians defending their homes are labeled terrorists while armed colonists are presented as deserving protection.
The minister emphasized that under international humanitarian law, Israel, as the occupying power, is legally responsible for the safety of Palestinian civilians, which includes preventing, investigating, and prosecuting settler violence. She reiterated that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, as affirmed by international courts and UN resolutions.
Shahin called for concrete international measures to end impunity and protect Palestinians, warning that inaction encourages further violence and undermines the international legal system. She demanded accountability for those organizing and financing settler attacks, the disarmament of settler militias, and the dismantling of the Israeli colonial project.
In the West Bank village of Ein Arik, a Palestinian family's farm was recently vandalized, with irrigation pipes cut, grape vines damaged, and young olive trees uprooted. This incident is linked to the establishment of a new settler outpost nearby, which has led to increased settler aggression and restrictions on villagers accessing their land.
This surge in settler violence across the West Bank is occurring amidst Israeli political dynamics ahead of upcoming elections, with radical settler elements reportedly seeking to solidify their presence and control over land before the vote.