France condemns 'unacceptable' Israeli West Bank settler attacks on Palestinians

France Sunday condemned “unacceptable” Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. More than 100 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip earlier this month, mostly during raids by Israeli forces or attacks by settlers, according to the Ramallah-based health ministry. “France strongly condemns the settler attacks that have led to the deaths of several Palestinian civilians over the past few days in Qusra and Sawiya, as well as the forced departure of several communities,” said a foreign ministry statement. “The violence perpetrated by settlers against the Palestinian population is multiplying. It is unacceptable and must stop”, it added. Israel should “take immediate measures to protect the Palestinian population”, said the statement. On Saturday, a 40-year-old Palestinian harvesting his olives was killed by a settler in the village of Sawiya near Nablus, the Palestinian health ministry said. In nearby Qusra village, settlers killed at least four Palestinians on 11 October, said the ministry. The situation in the West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967, was already tense before the war, with regular raids by Israeli forces and an upsurge in attacks by Israeli settlers against the Palestinian population.