The United States raises the tone and prohibits entry into the country of “radical” Israeli settlers who commit violent attacks against the Palestinian population in the occupied West Bank.
This was announced by the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who detailed in a statement that the Biden Administration will restrict visas to people “involved in undermining the peace, security or stability of the West Bank.” as well as their families.
The head of American diplomacy has made reference to the acts of settler violence and attempts to restrict access by Palestinians from the West Bank to essential basic services. “We have stressed to the Israeli government the need to hold accountable radical settlers who have committed violent attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank,” Blinken said.
The State Department did not reveal the number or identities of the settlers who have been prohibited from entering to US territory.
The occupied West Bank is experiencing its greatest spiral of violence since the Second Intifada (2000-05) and This 2023, 467 Palestinians have already diedmost of them militiamen in armed confrontations with Israeli troops and attackers, but also civilians, including more than a hundred minors.
The situation worsened following Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza that broke out on October 7, and since then259 West Bank Palestinians (including more than 65 minors) have died in violencenine of them for attacks by settlers, including a child.
On October 25, Biden said he was “alarmed” by settler attacks against Palestinians and demanded that they stop their attacks immediately. “They are attacking Palestinians in places where they have a right to be. They have to stop, be accountable and stop now,” he said at a press conference.
US demands Israel protect Palestinian civilians
In this Tuesday’s statement, Binken asked to hold accountable those responsible for “all acts of violence against civilians in the West Bank”regardless of the perpetrator or the victim”.
He also spoke about the situation in Gaza and stressed that the United States has “made it clear” to Israel that it must take measures to protect the civilian population of the Palestinian enclave.
At the same time, Blinken added, Washington wants the Palestinian National Authority “to do more to stop Palestinian attacks on Israelis.”