Palestine condemns Israeli settler violence in West Bank

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – The Palestinian Authority (PA) on Sunday condemned Israeli settler attacks against Palestinian towns in the occupied West Bank.

"Our people have the tools to defend their rights, and no one should underestimate the potential and determination of our people," PA spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh said in a statement cited by the official news agency Wafa.

The spokesman termed settler attacks against Palestinian property as “terrorist”.

The Palestinian people, he said, have "the ability and determination to thwart all conspiracies being hatched against the Palestinian cause."

Abu Rudeineh called on the international community including the UN, "to intervene urgently to provide international protection for the Palestinian people."

Israeli settlers have stepped up their attacks on Palestinian towns in recent days, amid a spike in violence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Israeli and Palestinian estimates indicate there are about 650,000 settlers living in 164 settlements and 116 outposts in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem.

Under international law, all Israeli settlements in the occupied territories are considered illegal.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara