Pope calls to end violence against West Bank Palestinians as settler attacks surge

CASTEL GANDOLFO, Italy — Pope Leo XIV called on Sunday for an end to violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, amid a surge of attacks by extremist settlers and a siege in the territory’s village of Qusra.

The residents of two homes on the outskirts of Qusra had been under siege since August 9, when Israeli settlers surrounded the buildings in an apparent effort to compel their residents – including young children – to flee. Israeli soldiers have since been deployed to the road outside the homes, blocking the occupants from leaving while apparently attempting to prevent settlers from returning.

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“I renew my appeal for an end to the repeated violence against the Palestinian civilian population in the West Bank,” the pope said, without mentioning specific confrontations or attacks.

His comments come after residents of Taybeh, the West Bank’s only Christian village, appealed to Leo for help amid settler attacks threatening members of the community.

“I urgently ask the international community to take action so as to advance the two-state solution, for a fair and lasting peace,” the pope added after noon prayers at his Castel Gandolfo residence outside Rome.

The Vatican has long backed the idea of a future Palestinian state, which has been recognized by more than 150 of 193 UN member states as encompassing the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, which Israel has annexed and considers its undivided capital.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, the most right-wing in Israel’s history, has overseen massive settlement construction in the West Bank that Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich says is aimed at burying the idea of such a state.

Settler violence has mounted in recent years, with near-daily, sometimes deadly attacks taking place throughout the West Bank, but few suspects have been arrested or charged. Critics accuse the government of condoning or even encouraging the attacks. In addition, IDF troops have been accused of standing by and allowing the violence, or even aiding it in some cases.

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