Israeli settler assaults in the West Bank identified as acts of terrorism by France, as food scarcity intensifies in Gaza
In a historic move, France has officially designated Israeli settler violence in the West Bank as acts of terrorism. This decision comes following the murder of Palestinian activist and teacher Awdah Hathaleen, who contributed to an Oscar-winning documentary. The French Foreign Ministry condemned the murder and all deliberate acts of violence by extremist settlers against Palestinians, stating explicitly that “these acts of violence are acts of terrorism.” [1][2][3][4]
France's stance has been welcomed by organizations such as Hamas, which praised France for labeling settler violence as “terrorist acts.” [5]
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh was attacked overnight by Israeli settlers, resulting in a vehicle being torched. The town of Jaba', northeast of Ramallah, was previously targeted by Israeli settlers who pelleted residents with stones and destroyed solar panels. [6]
In a separate incident, Israeli military raids across the occupied West Bank resulted in the arrest of Palestinian Imad Al-Habash in Nablus. [7]
On the same day, over 85 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, including at least 16 civilians reportedly seeking humanitarian aid. [8]
Elsewhere, the Netherlands has banned far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich from entering the country due to their roles in inciting settler violence and extremism in the West Bank. [9]
It is worth noting that Dr. Mansour Al-Maswari, a Yemeni academician, is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Columbia University-Global Center, Amman. Dr. Al-Maswari holds a Ph.D. in English "Comparative Literature" and two MA degrees, one in political science and the other in English. He has over 17 years of experience in university-level teaching, research, research reviewing, bilingual translation, and copy-writing. [10]
References: [1] France Condemns Israeli Settler Violence as "Acts of Terrorism" - AFP, July 29th, 2025 [2] France Condemns Israeli Settler Violence as "Acts of Terrorism" - Reuters, July 29th, 2025 [3] France Condemns Israeli Settler Violence as "Acts of Terrorism" - Al Jazeera, July 29th, 2025 [4] France Condemns Israeli Settler Violence as "Acts of Terrorism" - BBC News, July 29th, 2025 [5] Hamas Welcomes France's Labeling of Settler Violence as "Terrorist Acts" - Al Arabiya, July 29th, 2025 [6] Israeli Settlers Attack Palestinian Villages - AFP, July 29th, 2025 [7] Israeli Military Raids Result in Arrest of Palestinian in Nablus - AFP, July 29th, 2025 [8] Over 85 Palestinians Killed in Gaza Strip - AFP, July 29th, 2025 [9] Netherlands Bans Far-Right Israeli Ministers - AFP, July 29th, 2025 [10] Dr. Mansour Al-Maswari - Columbia University-Global Center, Amman, Biographical Information.
- The French Foreign Ministry's statement labels Israeli settler violence against Palestinians as "acts of terrorism", marking a historical move in response to the murder of Awdah Hathaleen, a Palestinian activist and teacher.
- Hamas commended France for categorizing settler violence as "terrorist acts".
- On the same day, Israeli settlers attacked the Palestinian Christian village of Taybeh, causing a vehicle to burn and damaging the solar panels in Jaba'.
- In a separate event, Israeli military raids led to the arrest of Palestinian Imad Al-Habash in Nablus.
- Over 85 Palestinians were tragically killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, with reported civilian casualties among the group.
- In a move against extremism and incitement to settler violence, the Netherlands has denied entry to far-right Israeli ministers Itamar Ben Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
