European countries decry surge in ‘settler terror’ against Palestinians

Joint statement by diplomats says violence aimed at forcing Palestinians off West Bank land, calls on authorities to bring attackers to justice

Diplomats from 13 European countries and Canada on Saturday slammed growing “terror” by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank, after a surge in deadly attacks.

Since the start of March, six Palestinians have been shot dead in settler attacks in the West Bank, according to a tally of data from the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority health ministry.

“We strongly condemn increasing settler terror and violence by the Israeli security forces inflicted upon Palestinian communities,” said a joint statement from the diplomatic missions of countries including France, Spain, and Britain.

“We are especially appalled by the killings of Palestinians over these past weeks. This violence by settler militias, aimed at taking over land and creating a coercive environment, forcing Palestinians to leave their homes, must end.”

The statement called on the Israeli authorities to “prevent and prosecute the lethal violence, raids and attacks.”

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir on Wednesday criticized the increase in settler attacks in the West Bank, calling it “morally and ethically unacceptable.”

Alongside roughly three million Palestinians, more than 500,000 Israelis live in settlements and outposts in the West Bank, which most of the international community considers illegal.

While most Israeli settlers do not engage in violence, a small but militant fringe has been linked to a rising number of attacks on Palestinians, which have recently been occurring on a near-daily basis. Perpetrators are rarely prosecuted.

Violence in the West Bank has soared since the Hamas attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war in October 2023. It has continued despite the ceasefire and spiked since the start of the war against Iran.

More than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces or settlers since October 2023, according to the PA health ministry. The IDF says the vast majority of them were gunmen killed in exchanges of fire, rioters who clashed with troops or terrorists carrying out attacks.

During the same period, 65 civilians and Israeli security personnel have been killed in terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank. Another eight members of the security forces were killed in clashes during raids in Palestinian cities in the West Bank.

The same period has also seen a major surge in attacks by settler extremists on Palestinians and their property across the West Bank. The IDF recorded 867 incidents of nationalistic crime and settler violence in 2025. The total for 2024 was 682 incidents.