Illegal Israeli settlers disrupt Russian ambassador’s tour in northern West Bank

By Awad Rjoob

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - Illegal Israeli settlers obstructed a field tour Monday by Russian ambassador to Palestine Gocha Buachidze and his accompanying delegation in the city of Salfit in the northern occupied West Bank, which aimed to assess the impact of settler attacks in the area.

Salfit governorate, like other parts of the West Bank, has been subjected to repeated attacks by the Israeli army and illegal settlers, with more than 500 incidents recorded in 2025, according to the Palestinian Authority’s Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission.

Israeli authorities are also reviewing plans for the implementation of 41 settlement projects on land in the governorate.

Palestine’s official news agency Wafa reported that settlers blocked the convoy of the delegation, which included Salfit Governor Mustafa Taqatqa and the Russian ambassador, and issued verbal threats, preventing the tour from continuing at the Wadi Al-Matwi site.

Taqatqa described the incident as “an act of terrorism committed by colonists, who are emboldened by the Israeli government.”

He called for “international action to protect both civilians and official delegations in the occupied territory.”

The Russian ambassador expressed “grave concern” over the incident, stressing “the need to respect international laws and ensure the protection of official delegations and Palestinian civilians against any attacks.”

Since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza, Israeli attacks in the West Bank have intensified, including killings, arrests, displacement and illegal settlement expansion, resulting in at least 1,112 Palestinians killed, around 11,500 wounded and more than 21,000 detained.

*Writing by Rania Abushamala