US expects Israel to ensure ‘full accountability’ for settler attacks in West Bank
TORONTO (AA): The US expects the Israeli government to ensure full accountability for a series of attacks by settlers against Palestinians in the West Bank and legal prosecution for those responsible, the State Department said Wednesday.
“We are deeply concerned by the rising levels of violence in the West Bank in recent months. There are troubling reports of extremist settler violence against Palestinian civilians, including the death of a Palestinian child and other injuries,” said deputy spokesman Vedant Patel.
“We expect the Israeli government to ensure full accountability and legal prosecution for those responsible for these attacks, in addition to compensation for lost homes and property,” Patel added.
On Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to go ahead with 1,000 new settlement homes in Eli, he said: “We’ve been very clear about this that unilateral actions such as this one, such as settlement advancement, will only incite tensions and undermine the prospect of a two-state solution.”
The US continues to engage with its partners in the region to “restore calm,” Patel said, noting that Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf has travelled to the region to meet with both Israeli and Palestinian leaders.
“In Jerusalem, the assistant secretary will meet with senior Israeli political and military leaders to discuss areas of mutual interest, including expanding and deepening Israel’s integration into the Middle East and constraining Iran’s destabilizing behavior. In Ramallah, she will meet with senior Palestinian leaders to discuss priority issues, including US efforts to support the Palestinian people.”