U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said violence in the West Bank, which is surging, could undercut the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, which the United States is working to preserve.
“Certainly there’s some concern about events in the West Bank spilling over and creating an effect that could undermine what we’re doing in Gaza,” Rubio told reporters on Wednesday.
The comments offer a stark confirmation that U.S. officials are paying attention with alarm to conditions in the West Bank, where Israeli settlers have increased their pace of attacks on Palestinians in recent months.
Masked settlers attacked Palestinians in two villages on Wednesday, drawing an unusual rebuke from Israel’s president.
“The harsh events that took place this evening in the Shomron by a handful of violent and dangerous individuals are shocking and serious,” Israeli President Isaac Herzog said in a statement in Hebrew on X. “Such violence against civilians and against IDF soldiers crosses a red line and I condemn it severely. All state authorities must act decisively to eradicate the phenomenon and to strengthen the IDF fighters and security forces who protect us day and night.”
The incident comes amid near-daily attacks by settlers on Palestinian villages, which watchdogs say is contributing to unprecedented displacement of West Bank Palestinians. Last week, settlers targeted a group of American Jewish activists who came to the West Bank to protect Palestinians harvesting olives. One settler was reportedly dismissed from reserve duty in the Israeli army following the clash, in which he fired a gun. In a separate incident, two American Jewish women were deported and barred from Israel for 10 years over their participation in a solidarity mission.
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