Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned what he described as “violent riots” by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank and called for security forces to use the “full force of the law” against those responsible.
Netanyahu’s comments followed an overnight attack by more than 100 Israeli settlers in the Palestinian town of Jalud, near Nablus, where buildings and vehicles were set on fire and Israeli security forces were pelted with stones, according to the Financial Times.
In a statement, Netanyahu said he “strongly” condemned the violence and described the perpetrators as a “handful of rioters”. He said their actions caused “a huge injustice to the law-abiding settler public” and hindered the military from carrying out its missions, according to The Times of Israel.
The violence came as the United Nations reported a sharp rise in settler attacks across the West Bank. The UN said it documented 630 attacks during the latest reporting period, resulting in 11 Palestinian deaths, 430 injuries and the displacement of 343 Palestinians.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog also condemned the latest violence, calling it “a moral stain” and saying it must be addressed under the law, the Financial Times reported.
