EU top diplomat Borrell condemns West Bank attacks by Israeli settlers

The EU's top diplomat Josep Borrell on Tuesday renewed calls for a pause in the Gaza-Israel conflict and condemned attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

After a series of calls with senior Arab officials, Borrell's office said he had "expressed great concern over attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, which he firmly condemned".

Brussels has previously called for civilians on both sides of the conflict to be protected, for Hamas to release hostages without preconditions and for "humanitarian pauses" to allow aid into Gaza.

However, after calls with the Saudi, Jordanian and Egyptian foreign ministers and the secretary general of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Hissein Brahim Taha,  Borrell extended his concern to related events in the West Bank.

Israel has indiscriminately bombarded the Gaza Strip since October 7, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel.

8,796 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli strikes including 3,648 children, while the Hamas attack on October 7 killed 1,400 Israelis, most of them civilians.  Hamas also took around 240 hostages in its attack.

🧵Day 26 of the Israel-Gaza war

👉 The Rafah crossing has opened for the first time since Israel's indiscriminate bombing of Gaza began on 7 Oct, permitting 545 foreign passport holders and 90 wounded Palestinians to cross into Egypt.

🔴 Live coverage: https://t.co/bwGtqcLQla pic.twitter.com/yLPuNv61MX

— The New Arab (@The_NewArab) November 1, 2023

In addition, Israel has stepped up operations in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.

At least 122 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since October 7, according to the Ramallah-based health ministry.

On Tuesday, Israeli forces demolished the West Bank home of exiled Hamas number two Saleh al-Aruri.

Israeli settlers attack and burn Palestinian homes in the West bank as their military rains fire down on Palestinian homes in Gaza https://t.co/EWQdECr9Qj

— Yousef Munayyer (@YousefMunayyer) October 30, 2023

EU foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano said the situation in the West Bank "could get out of control" and warned of "the risk of dangerous escalation of the conflict".

"Israel has the duty to protect civilians in the West Bank from extremist settler violence, to hold perpetrators accountable and ensure that the IDF intervenes. It is a legal obligation that must be fulfilled," he added in a statement.

As the violence raged, intensive diplomatic efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, among them Israelis, foreigners and dual-nationals, appeared to be making some headway, with the Al-Qassam Brigades saying it would free some of the foreigners "in the next few days".