Jerusalem, March 8. The UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Tor Wennesland, on Wednesday criticized attacks between Jewish and Palestinian settlers as well as the deadly raid by the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank, calling for an “immediate halt “. violence.
“I am deeply disturbed by the continued violence,” Wennesland said in a statement, stressing, “I condemn settler violence against Palestinians and I condemn Palestinian attacks against Israelis.”
On Tuesday, Israeli forces raided the Jenin refugee camp, a stronghold of armed Palestinian resistance in the northern occupied West Bank, in search of the suspected perpetrator of an attack that killed two Jewish settlers on February 26 near the Palestinian border. town of Huwara.
During the raid, Israeli agents killed the alleged attacker and five other militants, in addition to wounding twenty Palestinians, two of them seriously.
It is the third deadliest Israeli operation in the West Bank since the start of 2023, amid a serious upsurge in violence in the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
“I am alarmed by the events that took place yesterday during an Israeli operation in Jenin, which resulted in armed exchanges between Israeli security forces and armed Palestinians,” Wennesland said, calling for “a halt immediate” of the cycle of violence.
After the attack near Huwara, some 400 Jewish settlers armed with knives, sticks, stones and even firearms stormed the Palestinian towns of Huwara, Burin, Zatara, Odala and Asira al Qabaliyya, leaving one Palestinian dead, more than 300 injured and material damage with at least 75 houses and more than a hundred cars burned.
These attacks were repeated on Tuesday, when four Palestinians, including a girl, were injured after being hit by stones thrown by Israeli settlers and inhaling tear gas in Huwara.
“I am appalled by the attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians two days ago in Huwara. Israel, as the occupying power, must ensure that civilians are protected and those responsible are held to account,” continued Wenesland.
The UN envoy recalled that the organization urged the parties to refrain from provocative actions, incitement and inflammatory rhetoric.
However, members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, the most right-wing in Israel’s history, frequently use warmongering and anti-Arab language, while the Palestinian National Authority has called for popular resistance.
So far this year, at least 71 Palestinians have been killed in clashes and other violent incidents with Israel. On the Israeli side, 14 people were killed by attacks by Palestinians during the same period.
Israel took control of the West Bank in 1967, and maintains one of the longest military occupations in recent history. ECE
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