In the early hours of Monday morning, Jewish settlers torched 20 cars in the Al-Bireh area near Ramallah, the administrative center of the Palestinian government in the West Bank. Around a dozen masked attackers with petrol bombs reportedly stormed into the neighborhood around 3:00 am. Witnesses report that the settlers started shooting when locals tried to intervene. The Israeli police and Shin Bet security agency are currently investigating the case.

International Action Demands

“Barbaric settler-militia attacks,” Palestinian Authority condemned it, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs declaring that what the world needs to do now is impose “comprehensive sanctions against the whole settler-colonial system.” 

Hamas equally condemned this incident by demanding a more robust response from the Israeli government for what the group termed the “repeated crime” of settlement.

Sharp increases in attacks against the Palestinian communities have emerged, especially since the onset of the recent Gaza conflict in the West Bank. A lot of criticism, both nationally and internationally, has ensued amid an uptick in the conflict, with America requesting the Israeli government to exert effort in stopping such violence that is perpetrated by its settlers. The impositions had been resisted as several heads of settlers argued, hoping that Donald Trump might return to the seat as US President and that his administration could easily roll out any punitive measures applied to the settlement.

West Bank Settlements Tensions

Israel occupied the West Bank during the 1967 Middle East war. According to settlers, the settlements are anchored on their historical ties in the region due to their biblical connection. To the Palestinians, the settlements have become a blockade towards their dream of a sovereign state in the area. The international community has made it clear that the settlements are illegal. President Joe Biden reversed this ruling after President Donald Trump tried to change the status of the settlements in 2019. The Palestinian Authority and the rest of the international observers remain concerned about the prospect of the future of peace because of the settler violence going on.

International Community Calls for Restraint

International concerns have intensified with the attack, calling on restraint from Israeli authorities and settler groups. There have been repeated calls on Israel by the United States, and the European Union member states to stop the attacks of violence by settlers in Palestinian communities in the West Bank. Onlookers believe that unchecked violence would jeopardize regional stability at the same time as demolishing the possibility of renewing peace talks. International human rights organizations are demanding more protection measures and independent investigations with the recent increase in hostilities.