Two female IDF soldiers were attacked Monday by Israeli extremists at an illegal outpost in Judea and Samaria. The incident, which required medical intervention on site, triggered a vast search operation for the attackers who fled. “The IDF condemns all violence against its soldiers and will continue to work to maintain order in Judea and Samaria,” the Israeli military said in a statement.
This new escalation comes as tensions intensify in the region. During the night, unknown assailants set fire to at least 19 Palestinian vehicles in the town of al-Bireh, near Ramallah, also damaging two buildings. According to local residents, these acts were carried out by “armed extremists”.
Faced with this situation, the spokesperson for the American Department of State, Matthew Miller, strongly condemned this violence. “It is crucial that the Israeli government deters extremist settler violence and takes steps to protect all communities, in line with its international obligations,” he said.
Miller also mentioned other disturbing incidents: “Extremist settlers set fire to 20 Palestinian cars in the West Bank. When the owners tried to put out the fire, the settlers opened fire on them.”
Washington is now considering additional sanctions if Israel does not take concrete measures. “I have no new sanctions to announce today, but incidents like these have prompted us to impose them in the past. If the Israeli government does not take action to pursue those responsible, we will consider action that we can take on our side,” Miller warned.
These events come against a backdrop where the United States, the United Kingdom and the European Union have already imposed sanctions against extremists and organizations involved in violence against Palestinians in Judea and Samaria.
