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<\/a><\/p>\nPublished On 29 Jul 202629 Jul 2026<\/p>\n
The Canadian government has issued a statement reaffirming its opposition to Israeli expansion<\/a> in the occupied West Bank, where settlers have carried out widespread and violent attacks on Palestinian communities.<\/p>\n Wednesday\u2019s statement prompted a tit-for-tat on social media with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which sought to dismiss Canada\u2019s concerns as misguided.<\/p>\n Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list<\/p>\n In a post, Global Affairs Canada, the country\u2019s foreign ministry, underscored that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory\u00a0are illegal under international law.<\/p>\n The expansion of such settlements has coincided with an uptick in violence<\/a> in the West Bank. The United Nations reports that 76 Palestinians have died this year in settler attacks.<\/p>\n \u201cCanada condemns the ongoing violence in the West Bank. The expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank must stop. These settlements are illegal under international law and undermine prospects for peace, security and stability,\u201d Canada\u2019s statement reads.<\/p>\n \u201cWe call for the de-escalation and protection of civilians. International humanitarian law must be respected, and all civilians must be able to live in safety and security.\u201d<\/p>\n Hours earlier, the Office for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) likewise highlighted the increasing violence and condemned plans for expanding Israeli settlements.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are alarmed by the Israeli Government\u2019s announcement to further increase the number of settlements and outposts and open calls by Israeli leaders for revenge and collective punishment against Palestinian communities,\u201d an OHCHR spokesperson said in a statement.<\/p>\n The UN said it had recorded roughly 190 settler attacks in each of the first four months of 2026. At that rate, it estimated that the number of settler attacks could reach about 2,000 by the year\u2019s end, overtaking last year\u2019s total of 1,835.<\/p>\n The remarks from Global Affairs Canada on social media prompted a rebuttal from the Israeli Foreign Ministry, which accused Canada of moving to \u201cembolden terror\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cA wave of Palestinian terrorism is sweeping Judea and Samaria. Israelis are being murdered and wounded by Palestinian terrorists,\u201d the Foreign Ministry said, using the biblical term for the occupied West Bank favoured by Israeli settlers.<\/p>\n \u201cYet Canada\u2019s response is not to focus on the terrorists or those who glorify and encourage them, but to condemn Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n Attacks on Palestinian communities have further surged<\/a> after a deadly incident last week, when a Palestinian man in the village of Tal grabbed a settler\u2019s gun and shot him dead during an incursion into their village.<\/p>\n Heavily armed Israeli settlers often roam into Palestinian areas hoping to spark tensions.<\/p>\n Israeli authorities and settlers alike have framed the incident as an act of terrorism and used it as a pretext to issue a sweeping crackdown<\/a> on Palestinian communities.<\/p>\n Israel and Canada have previously feuded over Israel\u2019s control of the occupied West Bank, although critics have pointed out that Ottawa has rarely followed up<\/a> with concrete policy changes to step up pressure<\/a> on Israel.<\/p>\n