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The governments of Italy and Canada have expressed alarm regarding the handling of their citizens who were beaten and robbed by Jewish settlers in the Palestinian territories under occupation.

Details of the Violent Incident

A group comprising three Italians and one Canadian were attacked early on Sunday morning in the community of Ein al-Duyuk, near Jericho. They had volunteered to help protect the Palestinian population from escalating violence by settlers.

“At 4.30am on 30 November, 10 masked settlers, some armed with military-style rifles, forced their way into the residence where we were sleeping after night-watch,” stated the Canadian volunteer.

Each of the four required hospital treatment and one, an Italian man, was still receiving care in Ramallah on Monday for more substantial injuries.

Escalating Violence in Ein al-Duyuk

The pace and intensity of attacks in Ein al-Duyuk have increased substantially over the past two months. This coincides with the establishment of a settler outpost nearby and the arrival of young and aggressive settlers.

Activists say that violent incidents have become an almost daily occurrence. Attacks have included settler mobs forcibly entering houses, assaulting residents, and taking sheep, vehicles, and destroying solar panels.

International Law and Government Reactions

Although all Israeli communities on land seized in 1967 are illegal under international law, irregular outposts are also against Israeli domestic statutes. The village is located within Area A of the West Bank, a zone meant to be administered of the Palestinian Authority.

The Canadian foreign ministry stated it “utterly rejects the acts of violence committed by extremist settlers and is against any measures or talk about annexation of the Palestinian territories.”

The Italian foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, told reporters: “We have had enough of this hostility. This is not the way for the settlers to make their claims.”

Absence of Protection and Wider Situation

Villagers and activists report there has been no meaningful police intervention to stop the attacks or remove the illegal settlement. Senior figures of the Israeli governing coalition actively support West Bank settlers.

According to UN figures that settlers and Israeli forces have taken the lives of over a thousand Palestinians, including 233 children, in the West Bank over the past two years.

Voice of the Volunteers

The injured Canadian noted that, notwithstanding the violence, she felt the international presence in Ein al-Duyuk had been meaningful.

“The residents felt more confident while we were present,” she said. “The children played freely. People slept through the night. That alone made our presence worthwhile.”

A Palestinian activist involved with groups that bring in international observers said the recent encampment has brought in far-right wing settlers who seem to belong to an organised group.