Representatives from Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and UK visited today the Palestinian community of Huwara to express their deepest condolences to the victims of the attacks on 26 February and condemn in the strongest terms settler violence.
In Huwara, diplomats were briefed by the community about the extreme violence unleashed on Sunday when hundreds of Israeli settlers attacked the village and the nearby communities of Za'tara, Beita and Burin, resulting in the killing of one Palestinian and injuring at least 409 others, including 90 children and 136 women. The community members also testified to the horror they experienced as settlers went on a rampage and set their homes and property on fire. Visiting diplomats expressed their deepest condolences to the victims.
The abovementioned representatives condemn in the strongest terms the heinous and violent acts committed by settlers. The representatives call on Israel, as the occupying power, to take all necessary measures to protect Palestinians from settler violence and to ensure that perpetrators are held to account. Israel's failure to protect Palestinians and prosecute violent settlers is particularly worrying at a point in time when settler violence has reached unprecedented levels.
Settler violence is a result of Israel's continued settlement activities. Settlements are illegal under international law, fuel tensions and undermine the viability of the two-state solution and the prospect for a lasting peace in the region.
The abovementioned representatives condemn the killing of Palestinians and Israelis alike, reject all incitement to violence and urge all parties to exercise restraint.
