🧐 ProPicks AI October update is out now! See which stocks made the listPick Stocks with AI

Israeli security chiefs vow crackdown on settler 'terrorism'

Published 06/24/2023, 10:39 AM
Updated 06/24/2023, 07:11 PM
© Reuters. A man sits by the Qalandia checkpoint after, according to Israel's police, a suspected Palestinian gunman opened fire at the Israeli checkpoint in the occupied West Bank, wounding a security guard before he was shot dead by Israeli forces at the scene, Ju

By Maayan Lubell and Ali Sawafta

JERUSALEM/UMM SAFA, West Bank (Reuters) -Israeli security chiefs on Saturday designated settler attacks on Palestinian villages in the occupied West Bank as "nationalist terrorism" that merits stepped-up counter measures, and their remarks drew anger from far-right cabinet ministers.

A surge of violence over the past week in the West Bank included rampages by scores of Israeli settlers on Palestinian towns and villages that drew international condemnation and concern from the White House.

On Saturday, settlers torched at least two homes in the Palestinian village Umm Safa near Ramallah, residents said. Israel's military said at least one Israeli suspect had been arrested.

Defence Minister Yoav Gallant condemned the attack.

In a joint statement, Israel's military, police and domestic security service chiefs said the settlers' actions amounted to "nationalist terrorism" which they pledged to fight.

The military will boost its forces in the area to prevent such violence, they said, and the Shin Bet domestic security service will enhance arrests, including "administrative detention" in which suspects can be held without charge.

That practice is largely used by Israel against Palestinian security suspects and is denounced by rights groups.

The statement drew sharp rebuke by two members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's nationalist-religious government.

"The attempt to equate murderous Arab terrorism with civilian counter actions, as serious as they are, is immoral and dangerous," said Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.

He called on security forces to step up their efforts against Palestinian attacks and on settlers to refrain from "taking the law into their own hands."

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who has past convictions for support for terrorism and incitement against Arabs, echoed Smotrich's remarks.

On Friday, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan expressed concerns about settler attacks on Palestinian villages in a call with his Israeli counterpart, hours after Ben-Gvir called on settlers to expand their presence across the West Bank.

The settlers' assaults this week followed intense gun battles in Jenin that left seven Palestinians dead, a Palestinian shooting attack that killed four Israelis and a rare Israeli air strike in the area against militants.

Earlier on Saturday, a Palestinian militant opened fire at a West Bank Israeli checkpoint and wounded a security guard, Israel's police said. They added that the Palestinian gunman was then shot dead by forces at the scene.

The gunman was claimed by Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, an armed group associated with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah party.

© Reuters. A Palestinian throws a stone during clashes with Israeli troops after Israeli settlers attack Umm Safa village near Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, June 24, 2023. REUTERS/Mohamad Torokman

U.S.-brokered peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel aimed at establishing a Palestinian state in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, collapsed in 2014 and show no sign of revival.

Most countries deem the settlements Israel built on land it seized in the 1967 war as illegal, a view Israel disputes.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.