Diplomatic embassies urged Israel to halt all seizures and demolitions in the occupied West Bank, return or make amends for any donor-funded facilities that were destroyed or damaged, and ensure that humanitarian supplies could reach their intended recipients without restriction.
The missions, which also include the EU representative office in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, included members of the general consulates of Belgium, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom, as well as the representative offices of Denmark, Finland, Germany, and Ireland.
The missions urged Israel to “stop all confiscations and demolitions, as the occupying power, and to ensure unhindered access for humanitarian organizations in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.”
Given that the worth of all goods supported by donors that have been destroyed, deconstructed, or taken over since 2015 is estimated to be 1,291,000 euros, it asked that Israel return or reimburse all such materials.
It expressed its serious worry about the threat to destroy 57 additional schools in the West Bank and strongly denounced the recent demolition of the donor-funded school in Jubb al-Dhib.
She mentioned two schools in particular as being under threat: Ein Samia School in Ramallah and Khashm Al-Karm School in Hebron, where locals were compelled to leave their homes due to Israeli violence and severe restrictions.
It highlighted the prohibition on forcible transfer in international humanitarian law and expressed its concern about the issue of the planned forcible transfer of more than 1,100 affected Palestinians who currently reside in Masafer Yatta as well as the potential imminence of the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar and the forcible transfer of 48 Palestinian families who live there.
Strong statements were made by the diplomatic missions denouncing settler violence and criticizing “Israel’s failure to protect Palestinians and prosecute violent settlers.”
She also stated that she was “concerned about statements that could incite more violence,” highlighting the fact that the partners on the ground believe that the expansion of settlements has resulted in an increase in settler violence.
and reiterated that the settlements are unlawful according to international law, urging “Israel” to halt its program of settlement expansion and to prevent Palestinians from building in the West Bank.