British News Agency

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates condemned the dangerous escalation in settler attacks against Palestinians and the siege imposed on the town of Qusra, south of Nablus.

In a statement, the ministry said that the homes of Palestinian families had been under siege for five days, electricity and water networks had been damaged, homes had been fired upon and attempts had been made to burn children.

The statement said these attacks were systematic acts aimed at forcibly displacing and eliminating the Palestinian people, stressing that they were “attacks that can only be described as terrorist”.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry argued that Israel was escalating settler attacks and using settlers as an “unrestrained tool” to implement policies that constitute crimes.

The statement said these policies included destruction, siege and forced displacement, as well as imposing the conditions necessary for the annexation of the occupied West Bank.

The ministry also claimed that settler attacks were carried out under the protection of Israeli institutions, saying that the open minimization of these crimes by those institutions created “an integrated structure that reinforces a system of impunity”.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry called on the international community and international organizations, as well as the U.S. administration, to intervene urgently to immediately halt actions and practices aimed at annexing the West Bank.

The statement called on international actors to assume their responsibilities and take urgent and effective measures to stop settler attacks.

The ministry also called for settlers to be held accountable and for sanctions to be imposed on parties that provide them with protection and support.

It said these steps would help ensure the protection of the Palestinian people, halt the ongoing crime of forced displacement and bring an end to the long-standing colonial occupation.