Israeli Settler Violence Must Stop: French FM

AFP/APP

JERUSALEM — French Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné has called for an end to violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, while rejecting any forced displacement of Palestinians from either Gaza or the West Bank.

Speaking after meeting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a Middle East tour, Séjourné said there could be “under no circumstances” any forced displacement of Palestinians.

The French foreign minister also condemned anti-Palestinian rhetoric and calls by some Israeli officials for the resettlement of Gaza by Jewish settlers after the war.

Séjourné stressed the need to support the Palestinian Authority, saying the future of Gaza was inseparable from that of the West Bank. He called for the Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, to renew itself and return to Gaza as soon as possible.

“Gaza is Palestinian land,” Séjourné said, according to AFP.

Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007 after ousting forces loyal to the Palestinian Authority, which continues to exercise limited self-rule in parts of the West Bank.

Israel withdrew its troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005. In the occupied West Bank, however, around 490,000 Israelis live among approximately three million Palestinians in settlements widely regarded as illegal under international law.

The French minister also expressed concern over the rising violence in the West Bank. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry in Ramallah, at least 381 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the territory since the October 7 attack that triggered the Gaza war.

Israeli rights group Yesh Din has described 2023 as the most violent year on record for settler attacks.

Séjourné called for a comprehensive political settlement based on two states living peacefully alongside each other and urged the resumption of peace negotiations without delay.

“Without a political solution, there will be no just and lasting peace in the Middle East,” he said.

During his regional tour, Séjourné also met Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki and President Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah.

Following the meetings, he reiterated France’s call for a durable ceasefire in Gaza on humanitarian grounds. He also said the release of hostages still held in Gaza, including three French nationals, remained a priority for French diplomatic efforts.