DUBAI: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday appealed for urgent international action to stop Israeli military operations and settler attacks in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
In letters to Arab leaders, the EU and UN officials, Abbas warned of a dangerous escalation and called for measures to protect Palestinians.
Abbas said the occupied Palestinian territory was witnessing a sharp escalation due to continued attacks by Israeli forces and armed settler groups. He said the violence had caused hundreds of civilian casualties, the destruction of property, the burning of homes, religious sites, trees and agricultural land, as well as attacks on Palestinian villages and communities.
The Palestinian president accused Israeli forces and the government of providing protection and support for the attacks. He said the situation had moved beyond isolated incidents of violence, describing it as a systematic policy aimed at creating new realities on the ground through settlement expansion and violence.
Abbas said these policies were undermining the Palestinian Authority, weakening prospects for a two-state solution and threatening regional security and stability. He warned that the actions were aimed at displacing Palestinians from their land and could have serious consequences for regional tensions and international peace efforts.
He called on the international community to take urgent and practical steps to pressure Israel to stop settler attacks and hold those responsible accountable. Abbas also urged countries to halt settlement activity, implement relevant UN Security Council resolutions, including Resolution 2334, and provide international protection for Palestinians.
He said Israel must comply with its obligations under international law and international humanitarian law. Abbas reaffirmed Palestine’s commitment to a just and comprehensive peace based on a two-state solution, international legitimacy, the rejection of violence and extremism, and cooperation with international partners.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry also condemned what it described as overnight settler attacks on two mosques in the occupied West Bank. It said the Al-Rahma Mosque in Qasra, south of Nablus, and a mosque in Kor, south of Tulkarm, were set on fire and had racist slogans painted on their walls.
The ministry accused Israeli forces of protecting the attackers and called on the UN and the international community to designate armed settler groups as terrorist organisations, impose sanctions and ensure those responsible are held accountable.
The UAE also condemned attacks by Israeli settlers on villages in the occupied West Bank, including the burning of a mosque in Tulkarm, describing the incident as a provocative act and incitement against Muslims.
The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned of repeated settler attacks and called on the Israeli government to take full responsibility, condemn such actions and hold those responsible accountable. It said failure to do so would amount to tacit approval and further fuel hatred, racism and instability.
The ministry called on the international community to act to stop Israeli violations and prevent further escalation in the occupied Palestinian territory and the wider region. It also stressed the need to support regional and international efforts to revive the Middle East peace process, achieve a comprehensive and just peace, and end practices that threaten the two-state solution.
Spain on Sunday strongly condemned violence carried out by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, warning that continued attacks against Palestinians were being committed with impunity.
In a statement, the Spanish government said the recent wave of settler violence included an attack that killed four Palestinian civilians. Madrid called on Israel to take immediate steps to de-escalate tensions and ensure those responsible were brought to justice.
Spain also urged Israel to halt settlement expansion and end what it described as the protection of those carrying out attacks against Palestinian civilians. The government said Israel must fulfil its legal responsibilities and take concrete measures to prevent further violence.
Spain reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution and said it would continue to hold accountable all parties whose actions undermine efforts to achieve peace.
