German diplomats call for end to Israeli settler violence

Germany's ambassador to Israel on Friday condemned the aggression of Jewish settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

"Extremist settler violence is not only reprehensible when they target [Israel Defense Forces] reservists. They harass and attack Palestinian communities regularly and this needs to be stopped," Steffen Seibert posted in English on X.

Seibert was responding to a posting on the same channel by Oliver Owcza, head of the German diplomatic mission in Ramallah.

"Escalating settler violence and the resulting pressure on local communities have led to an increasing number of displacements," Owcza wrote. "This violates essential rights of these communities and needs to stop urgently!"

Since the massacre by the Palestinian militia Hamas in southern Israel on October 7, 2023, and the resulting Gaza war, Jewish settlers have stepped up attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank.

They repeatedly advance into Palestinian villages with firearms, baseball bats and stones, set fire to houses and cars and set fields and olive groves on fire.

Israeli media and eyewitnesses report that the Israeli armed forces are intervening less and less and are backing up the attackers.

Just under a week ago, extremist settlers even attacked an Israeli military facility and set it on fire. Defence Minister Israel Katz strongly condemned the actions of the settlers.