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The governments of Italy and Canada have expressed alarm about the treatment of their nationals who were beaten and robbed by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.

Details of the Violent Incident

A group comprising three Italians and one Canadian were assaulted in the pre-dawn hours of Sunday in the community of Ein al-Duyuk, near Jericho. They were serving to help protect the Palestinian population from intensifying settler violence.

“In the early morning of November 30th, 10 masked settlers, two carrying army-issued rifles, burst into the home where we were resting after a night shift,” said the Canadian national.

Each of the four required hospital treatment and one, an Italian man, was still receiving care in the city of Ramallah on Monday for more serious wounds.

Rising Tensions in Ein al-Duyuk

The frequency and severity of attacks in Ein al-Duyuk have increased substantially over the past two months. This coincides with the creation of an unauthorized settler encampment nearby and the arrival of young and aggressive settlers.

Activists say that aggressive acts have become an routine event. Attacks have included groups of settlers forcibly entering houses, beating villagers, and taking sheep, vehicles, and destroying solar panels.

Legal Status and Official Responses

While all settlements on occupied territory are illegal under international law, unauthorized outposts are also illegal under Israeli law. Ein al-Duyuk is in Area A of the West Bank, a zone theoretically under the control of the Palestinian Authority.

Canada's Department of Global Affairs stated it “strongly condemns the violent acts committed by extremist settlers and opposes any actions or talk about annexation of the Palestinian territories.”

The Italian foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, told reporters: “We cannot tolerate of this aggression. This is not the way for the settlers to make their claims.”

Lack of Intervention and Broader Context

Residents and advocates report there has been no meaningful police intervention to stop the attacks or dismantle the outpost. Senior figures of the current Israeli government are vocal backers of West Bank settlers.

According to UN figures that settlers and Israeli forces have taken the lives of over a thousand Palestinians, including 233 children, in the West Bank over the past two years.

Perspective from the Ground

The injured Canadian added that, notwithstanding the violence, she felt the presence of volunteers in Ein al-Duyuk had been valuable.

“The residents felt more confident while we were present,” she said. “Kids were able to play outside. Families could sleep soundly. That alone made our presence justified.”

A local organizer involved with groups that bring in international observers said the recent encampment has brought in far-right wing settlers who seem to belong to an organised group.