BERLIN: German Foreign Minister Johan Wadfool, during a visit to the settlement of “Al-Taybeh” in Ramallah, labeled the violence of Israeli settlers against Palestinians as “criminal” and “terrorist,” calling for legal action against those responsible. He stated, “This visit is a sign of solidarity with those suffering from violence. Israel, as the occupying power, is obligated to ensure security and punish criminals.” Wadfool added that Germany is working within Europe to impose further sanctions against violent settlers. His comments come amid a rise in violence in the West Bank, particularly since the onset of the Gaza conflict in October 2023, with the Al-Taybeh settlement being targeted multiple times in recent months. According to the Applied Research Institute of Jerusalem (ARIJ), Israeli settlers have carried out 1,444 attacks from the beginning of this year until the end of June, resulting in the forced displacement of 38 residential communities. The institute noted that “the cost of this violence should not only be measured by the number of attacks but also assessed by the suffering imposed on the daily lives of Palestinians.”
