Palestinian Official Urges Peace as Israeli Settler Violence Looms Over West Bank
Updated 3 min 5 sec ago
October 19, 2026 21:52
In a statement, he observed, “The jihadist activities carried out by the Israeli army and settlers, sanctioned by Jerusalem, constitute merely a prelude to an imminent eruption,” and reiterated that “a nonviolent struggle is now both a moral duty and a strategic imperative for all Palestinians.” “Bloodshed is no longer permissible,” Rajoub stressed, declaring “I urge a nonviolent opposition to the occupation regardless of its atrocities.” Despite his caution, he warned of intensifying settler aggression: daily assaults, property looting, and violent incidents have surged as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu prepares for the October 27 parliamentary vote, seeking a renewed mandate within a coalition favoring settlement expansion. Extremist settlers have even tried to shut down the traditional olive‑harvest rituals, a pivotal cultural milestone that draws Palestinians together each autumn. Demographically, Israel maintains roughly 500,000 resident settlers in the West Bank settlements, which international law deems illegal, while the surrounding territories host an estimated 3 million Palestinians under occupancy. The recent diplomatic dialogue in Cairo, convened after President Mahmoud Abbas postponed a previously scheduled election to September 2027, called for a united front expressed through a singular governing authority and exclusive legitimacy for a single armed organization. Historically, Hamas captured Gaza in 2007, leading Israel to promise total eradication of the group after the October 7 attack, which became the deadliest single operation against the state. Casualty reporting varies by source. According to AFP’s tally, over 1,125 Palestinians have been killed on the ground since October 2023, with the United Nations estimating 23 Palestinian victims caused by settler violence; simultaneously, at least 49 Israelis have lost their lives in combat according to Israeli data. In Gaza, the ongoing Israeli campaign has claimed approximately 74,459 Palestinian lives, a figure widely accepted as reliable by the United Nations.
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