Italy and Canada have protested after Israeli settlers beat and robbed three Italian and one Canadian volunteer in the occupied West Bank.
The assault happened at 4:30 a.m. Sunday in Ein al-Duyuk near Jericho, where the four had joined an international effort to shield Palestinian residents from escalating settler violence.
Ten masked attackers – two armed with army-issued rifles – burst into the volunteers’ house after night patrol. They beat the group for about 15 minutes, kicking the Canadian repeatedly in the head, ribs, hips and thighs while shouting insults in Arabic and claiming the volunteers had no right to be there.
The settlers wrecked the house interior, destroyed solar batteries and fled.
All four volunteers needed hospital treatment. One Italian man remained in Ramallah hospital on Monday with serious injuries.
The Canadian volunteer, who asked to remain anonymous for safety, wrote: “This is not about us. We were beaten for 15 minutes. Palestinians here endure this violence every day, every hour, a thousand-fold.”
Surge in violence since new outpost
Attacks in Ein al-Duyuk have intensified over the past two months after settlers established a nearby illegal outpost and brought in young, aggressive residents. Violent incidents now occur almost daily: mobs invade homes, beat villagers, steal 200 sheep and two cars, and destroy solar panels.
Ein al-Duyuk lies in Area A – under full Palestinian Authority control and off-limits to Israelis.
International outrage
Canada’s foreign ministry “strongly condemns the violent acts committed by extremist settlers” and opposes any annexation of Palestinian territories.
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani declared: “We have had enough of this aggression. This is not the way to assert rights.”
Israeli authorities offered no comment. Locals and activists report no meaningful police action to stop attacks or remove the outpost , several members of Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition openly back the settlers.
UN data shows Israeli settlers and security forces have killed over 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank in the past two years, including 233 children – part of what many see as a deliberate campaign to seize land.
Palestinian activist Manal Tamimi from Faz3a organisation, which brings foreign volunteers to protect villages, said the new outpost settlers appear highly organised and extremely violent.
Despite the beating, the Canadian volunteer insisted their presence mattered: “The villagers stood taller while we were there. Children played freely. People slept through the night. That alone made it worthwhile.”
Source: The Guardian
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