The European Union's representative to the Palestinian territories, Alexandre Stutzmann, has announced the launch of a program aimed at assisting victims of attacks by extremist Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. Stutzmann made the announcement during a visit to the village of Al-Mughayyir, northeast of Ramallah, where Israeli settlers killed two Palestinians last week during an attack on a school.
Program Details
According to the Wafa news agency, Stutzmann stated that the initiative seeks to provide proactive protection for Palestinians through volunteer groups and establish a system to enhance community safety and security. He described the increase in settler violence as a wake-up call.
"Unfortunately, we were unable to prevent these incidents, but we can work to ensure they are not repeated," Stutzmann said. He added that the EU is considering firm political measures along with other actions, including the rollout of the victim support program.
Field Visit and Statistics
Stutzmann was joined by Christophe Bigot, the EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process, during the field visit. According to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, at least 497 attacks were perpetrated by Israeli settlers in the West Bank in March, with the majority occurring in Hebron, Nablus, Ramallah, and Jerusalem.
All settlements in the West Bank are considered illegal under international law. Excluding East Jerusalem, which Israel occupied in 1967, approximately 500,000 Israeli settlers live in the West Bank alongside some 3 million Palestinians.
