Pope: End West Bank Violence Against Palestinians
Pope: End West Bank Violence Against Palestinians
The News
Pope Leo called on Sunday for an end to violence against Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank, speaking after noon prayers at his Castel Gandolfo residence outside Rome.
His appeal came amid a surge of attacks by militant settlers, including a siege of the West Bank village of Qusra, where settlers encircled houses after cutting off water and electricity.
Rights groups say the attacks are a concerted effort to seize more land in territory where Palestinians aim to establish a state.
What the Pope Said
"I renew my appeal for an end to the repeated violence against the Palestinian civilian population in the West Bank," the Pope said, according to Reuters. He did not mention any specific confrontation or attack.
"I urgently ask the international community to take action so as to advance the two-state solution, for a fair and lasting peace," he added.
Timeline
Israel seizes the West Bank in that year's war. The United Nations and most governments consider the settlements built there illegal under international law related to military occupation; Israel argues the territory is disputed rather than occupied.
Settlers set fire to homes in the small village of Al-Tuba, in the southern Masafer Yatta region, according to The Independent.
Settlers besiege Qusra, south of Nablus, cutting off water and electricity and encircling houses.
Pope Leo leads the Angelus prayer in Piazza della Liberta in Castel Gandolfo and issues his appeal.
Reactions
The Vatican has long backed the idea of a future Palestinian state. More than 150 of the 193 United Nations member states recognize that state as encompassing the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing coalition government has overseen large-scale settlement construction in the West Bank. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says that building is aimed at burying the idea of a Palestinian state.
What's Next
The Pope's appeal puts the burden on foreign governments rather than on any single party: he asked the international community to act to advance a two-state solution. Whether that produces anything concrete depends on the same governments that have so far declined to force the issue.
On the ground, the immediate test is Qusra and Masafer Yatta — whether the settler pressure eases, and whether Israeli authorities move against the attackers.
More
The sources for this story — Reuters, The Independent and Yahoo News — report the Pope's remarks and the settler attacks. Reuters noted the Pope named no specific incident. The Frank will update as the Israeli government responds.
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