Germany condemns arson attack by illegal settlers on ancient church in West Bank

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - Germany on Friday condemned a recent arson attack on an ancient church in the Palestinian town of Taybeh in the West Bank.

The Foreign Ministry called out violent settlers for the assault.

"The recurring attacks threaten lives & livelihoods. Palestinians must be protected from settler violence, incidents must be investigated & those responsible held accountable," it said.

At least 994 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the West Bank by Israeli forces and illegal settlers since the start of Israel’s most recent genocidal war against the Gaza Strip in October 2023, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.