In late August, radical Jewish settlers launched an unwarranted assault on a West Bank village, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. The Israeli military, initially powerless to intervene, has since acknowledged their fault in the situation.
Avi Bluth, the Central Command leader of the Israeli Army, admitted to the failure in a statement. "This was a horrific act of terror, where Israelis intentionally caused harm to the citizens of Dja, and we faltered because we didn't arrive swiftly enough to safeguard them," he said.
During the attack, a 23-year-old Palestinian was fatally shot, another was gravely wounded, and houses and vehicles were torched. Despite numerous warnings and the dispatch of forces, about a hundred masked individuals stormed the village. A military unit arrived a few minutes later but failed to take stronger action against the rioters. The settlers were eventually removed with additional forces' assistance 30 minutes into the attack.
Meanwhile, the US government has taken action against Israeli entities involved in the displacement of Palestinians. In February, the residents of the Palestinian Bedouin village of Chirbet Zanuta near Hebron were forced to evacuate their homes. Volunteers from Hashomer Hatzair, an NGO, prevented the residents from returning, creating a violent situation.
The US government accused the NGO volunteers of safeguarding settler positions by herding livestock, and imposed penalties on the organization. Additionally, the security coordinator of the Yitzhar settlement in the West Bank was penalized for leading a group of armed settlers in establishing roadblocks and patrols aimed at attacking Palestinians and forcibly displacing them from their land in February 2024.
The US has imposed penalties on extremist settlers in the West Bank multiple times, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office stating that the matter is under discussion with the US. The assets of the targeted individuals in the US may be frozen, and US citizens or individuals in the US are prohibited from conducting business with the sanctioned entities.
The violence in the West Bank has once again brought attention to the Palestinian territories. As international and NGO criticism of Israel's actions and the US government's support for these actions continues to grow, it remains to be seen what steps will be taken to address the situation.
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Enrichment Insights:
- The UN chief has voiced alarm at rising violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank, calling for a halt to such actions.
- A broad coalition of NGOs, including FCNL and A New Policy, have released statements opposing President Trump's recent statements that support forced Palestinian displacement, which they term as ethnic cleansing.
- Human Rights Watch has released a report detailing the deliberate targeting of critical water infrastructure by Israeli forces in Gaza, concluding that this is a crime against humanity and amounts to an act of genocide.
- The Biden administration has stated that it is satisfied with steps the Israeli government has taken in response to a letter demanding improved humanitarian aid access in the Gaza Strip, but has not restricted military aid to Israel, which has been criticized for not meeting the stipulated recommendations.
- The U.S. government's support for Israeli military actions has been criticized by human rights organizations, with Amnesty International noting that U.S. support for the war is toxic on the international stage and will only become more so as time goes on.
