EU Launches Aid Program for Palestinians Affected by Settler Violence

The European Union is launching a new program to support Palestinians facing violence from Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank. The Palestinian Authority and the EU office in Jerusalem announced that the program will provide protective presence and equipment, such as fences, to Palestinian villages threatened by settler attacks.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa stated that the EU, in coordination with the Palestinian government, will launch a program to support victims of settler terrorism. The program, developed together with local and international non-governmental organizations, will document attacks against Palestinians and support communities that suffer such attacks.

A source from the EU office added that the program's budget amounts to approximately six million euros. Violence by extremist settlers has been a recurring problem for decades, which has intensified in recent years in the West Bank. Rural communities are the most vulnerable, with frequent reports of beatings, destruction of agricultural land, livestock theft, and arson.

Following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, at least 1,050 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli soldiers or settlers, according to a count by the French Agency.