By Awad Rajoub
RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA): Palestine’s prime minister on Monday called for UN protection from Israeli settler attacks in the occupied West Bank.
“It is worrying that the [settler] aggression is happening under the watch and protection of the Israeli army,” Muhammad Shtayyeh told a weekly Cabinet meeting.
“We call on UN bodies in Palestine to establish protection teams to shield our people against these settler attacks,” he said.
The premier said the construction of thousands of settlement units shows “blatant disregard for the international stance that rejects the establishment of settlements,” adding that Israeli authorities are trying to take advantage of the last days of the US’ Trump administration.
He demanded that the international community activates UN Security Council Resolution 2334 to stop what he called “colonial projects.”
The resolution describes Israel’s settlement activity as a “flagrant violation” of international law which lacks “legal validity,” demanding that it be halted.
On Sunday, for example, hundreds of Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian homes, businesses and vehicles in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem.
The attacks took place around Road 1 in Sheikh Jarrah. The settlers, protected by Israeli police, threw stones at Palestinian vehicles, then proceeded to attack Palestinian homes and pedestrians.
According to Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, there were 19 Israeli settler-violence incidents between December 17 – 23:
- 250 trees uprooted in Kisan village, eastern Bethlehem;
- Assault on several houses and shepherds and a Palestinian ran over in Hebron;
- Water irrigation system, and orange trees cut in Khan al-Laban in Nablus;
- 30 olive tree seedlings cut in Al-Mughayyir, northeastern Ramallah.
- 50 olive tree seedlings south east of Nablus
Israeli rights group Peace Now said in a recent report that settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territories doubled during Trump’s nearly four years in office.
* Ibrahim Mukhtar contributed to this report from Ankara
[Photo: Israeli soldiers firing at Palestinians staging demonstration to protest against the illegal Jewish settlements, in Beit Dajan village, Nablus, West Bank on December 18, 2020. Photographer: Nedal Eshtayah/AA]
