German Foreign Minister from the West Bank: Settler Attacks are Terrorism

In a firm diplomatic stance, German Foreign Minister Johan Wadephol strongly condemned the rise of violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, describing it as terrorism that must be held legally accountable.

During his visit yesterday to the town of Taybeh near Ramallah, which has faced repeated attacks by settlers in recent months, Wadephol said: "These acts are crimes, they are terrorism, and they must ultimately be pursued by the police."

He added that his visit represents a sign of solidarity with all those suffering from settler violence, emphasizing that Israel, as an occupying power and a state of law, must enforce security and order and hold criminals accountable, as well as protect the Palestinian population from these attacks.

The German minister revealed that his government is working at the European level to impose additional sanctions on settlers proven to be involved in acts of violence.

The minister's statements came at a time when attacks against Palestinians have increased since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023, with daily assaults becoming a recurring scene in various areas of the West Bank.

The Applied Research Institute "ARIJ" mentioned in a report released on Thursday that settlers carried out 1,444 attacks in the West Bank from the beginning of 2025 until the end of June, causing the displacement of 38 Palestinian residential communities.

The report indicated that this escalation is unprecedented, and the price paid by Palestinians is not measured only by the number of attacks, but by the daily suffering that affects all aspects of their lives.

This data comes amid increasing calls from international parties for the need to deter settlers and hold those responsible for the violence accountable, while human rights organizations accuse Israeli forces of negligence or complicity in protecting Palestinian civilians.