US presses Israel over West Bank settler attacks

Washington: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has expressed concern over the actions of Israeli settlers in the West Bank. The US wants Israel to take stronger measures to prevent such attacks, Rubio stated. Rubio emphasized the US' discontent with the recent incidents involving Israeli settlers, specifically referencing a video showing a photojournalist being attacked. This string of events has raised serious concerns about the safety of individuals in the region.

The US State Department has inquired about these occurrences, according to Rubio. He expressed his hope for a response from the US Embassy in Jerusalem within the coming week. The attacks targeted not only American photojournalist Heidi Levine but also included European diplomats and a French mayor in the occupied West Bank. The French Minister of Foreign Affairs confirmed the assault on these individuals, adding to the gravity of the situation.

Since the beginning of the olive harvest on September 27, Israeli settlers have been involved in at least 170 attacks on Palestinians, as reported by Yesh Din, an Israeli settlements monitoring group.