Jewish Colonists Attack and Rob European and North American Volunteers in West Bank

The governments of Italy and Canada have expressed alarm about the treatment of their citizens who were assaulted and robbed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Details of the Violent Incident

A group comprising three Italians and one Canadian were assaulted in the pre-dawn hours of Sunday in the community of Ein al-Duyuk, near Jericho. They were serving to help protect the Palestinian population from intensifying settler violence.

“At 4.30am on 30 November, a group of ten masked settlers, two carrying army-issued rifles, forced their way into the residence where we were resting after a night shift,” said the Canadian national.

All four were hospitalised and one, an Italian man, was still receiving care in Ramallah on Monday for more serious wounds.

Rising Tensions in Ein al-Duyuk

The pace and intensity of attacks in Ein al-Duyuk have increased substantially over the last eight weeks. This coincides with the creation of an unauthorized settler encampment in the vicinity and the arrival of young and aggressive settlers.

Activists say that violent incidents have become an routine event. These incidents have involved groups of settlers forcibly entering houses, beating villagers, and taking sheep, vehicles, and destroying solar panels.

Legal Status and Government Reactions

While all settlements on land seized in 1967 are considered unlawful by the international community, irregular outposts are also against Israeli domestic statutes. Ein al-Duyuk is in Area A of the West Bank, a zone theoretically under the control of the Palestinian governing body.

The Canadian foreign ministry stated it “strongly condemns the violent acts committed by radical settlers and opposes any actions or talk about absorbing Palestinian land.”

Italy's top diplomat, Antonio 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

Residents and advocates report there has been no meaningful police intervention to stop the attacks or dismantle the outpost. Senior figures of the current Israeli government actively support West Bank settlers.

United Nations data indicates that settlers and Israeli forces have taken the lives of over a thousand Palestinians, including hundreds of minors, in the West Bank over the past two years.

Perspective from the Ground

The injured Canadian noted that, notwithstanding the violence, she felt the international presence in Ein al-Duyuk had been meaningful.

“The villagers stood taller while we were present,” she said. “Kids were able to play outside. Families could sleep soundly. That alone made our presence justified.”

A local organizer working with groups that bring in international observers said the new outpost has brought in far-right wing settlers who seem to belong to an organised group.