The governments of Italy and Canada have expressed alarm about the treatment of their citizens who were beaten and robbed by Israeli settlers in the Palestinian territories under occupation.
Particulars Surrounding the Violent Incident
A group comprising three Italians and one Canadian were attacked early on Sunday morning in the village of Ein al-Duyuk, near Jericho. They had volunteered to help protect the Palestinian population from escalating violence by settlers.
“In the early morning of November 30th, 10 masked settlers, some armed with military-style rifles, forced their way into the residence where we were sleeping after night-watch,” stated the Canadian volunteer.
Each of the four required hospital treatment and one, an Italian man, was still receiving care in Ramallah on Monday for more substantial injuries.
Escalating Violence in Ein al-Duyuk
The frequency and severity of attacks in this area have increased substantially over the last eight weeks. This coincides with the creation of an unauthorized settler encampment in the vicinity and the influx of new, confrontational settlers.
Activists say that violent incidents have become an routine event. Attacks have included settler mobs breaking into homes, assaulting residents, and taking sheep, vehicles, and destroying solar panels.
International Law and Government Reactions
Although all Israeli communities on occupied territory are illegal under international law, irregular outposts are also against Israeli domestic statutes. Ein al-Duyuk is in Area A of the West Bank, a zone meant to be administered of the Palestinian governing body.
Canada's Department of Global Affairs stated it “utterly rejects the acts of violence committed by extremist settlers and is against any measures or talk about absorbing Palestinian land.”
The Italian foreign minister, Minister Tajani, told reporters: “We cannot tolerate of this aggression. This is not the way for the settlers to assert their rights.”
Absence of Protection and Wider Situation
Villagers and activists report there has been little effective action by security forces to halt the assaults or remove the illegal settlement. Senior figures of the Israeli governing coalition are vocal backers of West Bank settlers.
United Nations data indicates that settlers and Israeli forces have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians, including 233 children, in the West Bank over the past two years.
Voice of the Volunteers
The injured Canadian noted that, despite the attack, she felt the international presence in the village had been meaningful.
“The residents felt more confident while we were present,” she said. “The children played freely. People slept through the night. Just that made our presence justified.”
A Palestinian activist working with groups that recruit foreign volunteers said the new outpost has brought in far-right wing settlers who seem to belong to an organised group.
