The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates has condemned the escalation of violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied territories, calling for putting the settler organizations on international terrorism lists.
The ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that placing Israeli settler organizations on international terror lists could prevent them from expanding the occupation of Palestine.
“The aim is to link the international and American stance rejecting the terrorism of settler militias with sanctions to compel Israel to dismantle and disarm them,” it said.
The ministry had previously blamed “terrorist elements” of Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir as the main reason behind the escalation of violence.
Israeli settler violence against Palestinians has been on the rise since the cabinet of prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu took office in December 2022.
Israeli settlers, backed by regime forces, have ramped up their attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since the regime’s bombardment of Gaza began in early October.
Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed and thousands of others injured by Israeli settlers or troops across the occupied territory since the onset of the war.
Israeli aggression on the besieged Gaza Strip has also killed more than 24,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children.
More than 700,000 Israelis live in over 279 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East al-Quds.
While all Israeli settlements are illegal under international law, the occupying regime has stepped up settlement expansion in blatant violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.
