Israeli forces and settlers have killed four Palestinians in the occupied West Bank over the past 24 hours, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The deaths occurred in the Nablus, Qalqilya and Tulkarem governorates, bringing the number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank since the start of the year to 100, the ministry said.
The ministry attributed the deaths to continuing Israeli military raids on Palestinian cities, towns and refugee camps, alongside escalating settler attacks on villages as Israel’s offensive on Gaza continues.
International pressure grows
The killings came as international pressure mounted over Israel’s settlement policy.
The UK and 11 other countries have announced support for trade sanctions targeting Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said all EU member states agree that Israeli settlements are illegal under international law.
Kallas said settlement expansion was undermining the prospects of a viable two-state solution, while reiterating the EU’s commitment to supporting a peace agreement based on two states living alongside each other within secure and recognised borders.
UK move draws mixed response
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio stopped short of condemning Britain’s decision to impose sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements.
Rubio said the Trump administration would “obviously not do what the UK did”, but added that Washington shared the goal of stability and did not want to see an increase in violence in the occupied West Bank.
The UK has said Palestinians face ethnic cleansing by Israeli settlers in parts of the West Bank. France and Canada are also taking action, according to the report.
Amnesty International welcomed Britain’s trade ban as a significant step, while Israel’s policy of settlement expansion continues to face growing criticism from European governments.
