The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has said Israeli settler violence in the West Bank has made everyday life for Palestinians \u201cuntenable\u201d, as a mob attack on Palestinians trying to return home prompted one of Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s main rivals to warn of a campaign of settler terror.<\/p>\n
More than 100 militant settlers overwhelmed Israeli security forces early on Tuesday to attack a Palestinian family as they attempted to reclaim their homes which had been seized by settlers in the West Bank<\/a> village of Jalud. Three Israeli security officials were injured and houses were set on fire.<\/p>\n The impotence of the Israeli military, the scale of the assault and the injuries inflicted on Israeli security officers by settlers prompted unusually harsh condemnation from Israeli politicians and commenters.<\/p>\n Israel is facing unprecedented international pressure over surging violence in the occupied West Bank, where settler militants backed by cabinet ministers have accelerated a campaign of ethnic cleansing<\/a> ahead of Israel\u2019s elections next month.<\/p>\n Israel\u2019s president, Isaac Herzog, condemned the attacks in Jalud as a \u201cmoral stain\u201d. Gadi Eisenkot, a former military chief and Netanyahu\u2019s leading challenger<\/a> in the upcoming elections, called for action to halt a \u201ccampaign of terror and violence\u201d.<\/p>\n Deadlier attacks by Israeli settlers, including ones targeting Palestinian children, have drawn less attention inside Israel.<\/p>\n \u201cPalestinian rights or safety are not the concern, even for people who are in the opposition,\u201d said Mairav Zonszein, a senior analyst on Israel-Palestine with International Crisis Group. \u201cThe settler violence is an issue [for them] because it\u2019s making Israel look bad, and also the idea that the military is losing control.\u201d<\/p>\n A Palestinian family were attacked as they attempted to reclaim their homes which had been seized by settlers in Jalud. Photograph: Atef Safadi\/EPA<\/p>\n The ICRC said attacks, settlement expansion and severe restrictions on movement were making everyday life untenable for Palestinian civilians and violated Israel\u2019s obligations under international law.<\/p>\n \u201cThe frequent and severe violence must be brought to an end,\u201d said Julien Lerisson, the head of the ICRC\u2019s delegation for Israel and Palestine. \u201cWhat international humanitarian law says on the protection of private and public property, and on the population\u2019s access to essential services, must be respected.\u201d<\/p>\n A bar on imports of settlement goods came into force in the Netherlands last week, the UK has announced plans for even broader controls<\/a> on trade and financing of settlements, and a similar bill will be introduced in the US legislature on Thursday.<\/p>\n