This week, a large mob of Israeli settlers attacked Turmus Ayya in retaliation for two armed Palestinians’ attacks, killing four settlers. Thirty-four people were injured, 30 homes, 60 cars, a gas station, multiple shops, a mosque and a school were destroyed, and 140 vehicles, an ambulance and farmland were burnt down. 12 Palestinians were wounded, three held US citizenship or a Green Card, and a 27-year-old Palestinian was killed. The Israeli police reported that they had “accurately” fired at a “rioter”, but a Palestinian witness disputed this. Surveillance footage indicated Israeli settlers had opened fire while Israeli security authorities, reported no gunfire from settlers.

On the day of the attack, the US State Department called for accountability and compensation for those affected, and the next day, the US Ambassador to Israel urged the Israelis to take action to prevent further attacks. Diplomats from several countries then visited Turmus Ayya to investigate the incident and to show solidarity with the residents. The US and European diplomatic bodies have called for the perpetrators of the rampage, which resulted in the death of a US permanent resident, to be held accountable, and for a thorough investigation to be conducted. Israeli security forces have detained four settlers on suspicion of involvement in the rampage.

Turmus Ayya is a picturesque town located between Ramallah and Nablus in Palestine. It has a population of around 3,000, which increases to over 8,000 during the summer due to the return of diaspora Palestinians. Many of them are successful professionals, and the town is known for its wealth, as evidenced by the presence of late-model SUVs. Sa’ed Ihmoud, a town council member from Turmus Ayya, reported that vandalistic acts by settlers have been increasing in frequency and severity.

Residents of Turmus Ayya have expressed their distress at the lack of action from the US government in response to the rioting of hundreds of Israeli settlers. Despite the arrests of some suspects, there is criticism of the lack of accountability for the settlers, while the IDF spokesperson has expressed hope for more arrests in the future.

Israeli security forces have consistently failed to investigate or punish acts of violence committed by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, with only three per cent of complaints resulting in conviction. Many cases of violence against Palestinians go unreported due to a lack of faith in the criminal justice system, leading to impunity for settler violence and repression of Palestinians in the West Bank.

Israeli military forces have been accused of allowing settler violence in the West Bank to take more land from Palestinians. B’Tselem accuses the military of removing Palestinians from their land instead of confronting settlers and blocking off a large ground area in Turmus Ayya, allowing only limited access twice a year.

UN experts have strongly condemned Israel’s attempt to annex Palestinian territory as a violation of international law and have urged the international community to take decisive action to prevent further annexations. This follows Israel’s previous annexation of East Jerusalem and the transfer of governance powers to Minister Bezalel Smotrich in the West Bank, which has resulted in the confiscation of Palestinian lands and resources.

The UN group observed that the situation for both Palestinians and Israelis is tragic, noting that both sides are subjected to unlawfulness and injustice and that those who peacefully bring attention to the conflict are often subject to slander and criminalisation.

The experts argued that Jewish settlers in occupied Palestinian territory have civil and political rights that Palestinians do not have and that the UN’s failure to condemn this unjust system of double standards equivocally undermines the foundations of the UN Charter and human rights.

Despite the US providing significant aid to Israel, Palestinians living in the US and those living under Israeli occupation still experience human rights abuses based on their ethnic, national or racial identity. To address this issue, US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin has called for Israeli and Palestinian leaders to address settler violence, create economic opportunities, and prevent terrorism.

The US and international community must take meaningful action to hold Israeli settlers accountable for their human rights abuses against Palestinians. Until this happens, the violence and oppression of Palestinians in the West Bank will persist, threatening the future of peace and security in the region.