FORMER Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert says settlers have been committing ‘war crimes’ against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank under the protection of the Tel Aviv regime.
Speaking on Israel’s Channel 13 on Saturday, Olmert said ‘hilltop youth’ or ‘youths of horror’ assault Palestinians, run them off their lands and torch their homes, on a daily basis.
‘In the West Bank, war crimes are occurring daily. Jews are murdering Palestinians. Burning them,’ he added.
The Israeli police shut their eyes to the settler violence, while the military does not do what it is supposed to do.
However, the hosts of the show alleged that only a small minority of Israeli settlers attack Palestinians.
But Olmert refuted the claim, saying: ‘This is not a minority, that’s a false claim. They (the settlers) have backing, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to do it.’
He further referred to the case of Sayfollah Musallet, a young Palestinian-American man who was beaten to death by Israeli settlers in the West Bank town of Sinjil on Friday.
‘A Palestinian-American protester is beaten to death by the Israeli regime’s settlers waging deadly violence, under the Israeli army’s deliberate inaction,’ he said.
Meanwhile, in a column for the Israeli daily Haaretz, Olmert explicitly linked the actions of violent settlers to far-right ministers of the Israeli cabinet like Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich.
‘These militias are not a gang of savages,’ he wrote, ‘but the vanguard of everyone who encourages and inspires them – and covers for them.’
The ex-Israeli prime minister also noted that the main mission of violent settlers ‘is to expel all the West Bank Palestinians by making life so miserable’ for them.
Meanwhile on Saturday, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry urged global action against settler terrorism. The international community must ‘end its double standards’ over the suffering of Palestinians and take ‘necessary measures’ towards halting ‘terrorist settler militia crimes in the West Bank.’
It further underlined the need to hold ‘illegal settler organisations accountable, prosecute them, and impose immediate sanctions on those who support and protect them politically and militarily.’
Israel has ramped up West Bank violence since October 7th, 2023, when it launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.
Since then, at least 998 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 others injured in attacks by the Israeli forces and settlers across the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has credited Iran’s triumph in the 12-day war against Israel to its robust defence capabilities and unity in overcoming the Israeli regime’s aggression.
He made the statement in an unnanounced visit to Iran’s Oil Ministry on Sunday, in appreciation of the efforts of the ministry’s managers and staffers to prevent shortages and challenges in the energy supply during the Israeli-imposed war.
‘It was you, along with people from various walks of life, who, with the right understanding and timely wisdom, thwarted the enemy’s plots to destabilise the country,’ the Iranian president said.
‘If it weren’t for the people’s unity and active engagement on the ground, alongside our Armed Forces’ capabilities and missiles that dismantled Israel’s reputation, our triumph and victory would have been unattainable.’
Pezeshkian also emphasised the administration’s commitment to promoting diplomacy as a means to prevent future wars and conflicts.
‘War benefits no one and never has a winner. We are dedicated to fostering peace, tranquility, and stability, driven by our motto and strategy of national unity, internal solidarity, and fostering amicable relationships with our neighbours and global community.
‘We do not engage in aggression and have no intention of doing so; however, we will steadfastly resist any attempts at intimidation or coercion.’
On June 13, Israel launched a blatant and unprovoked aggression against Iran, assassinating many high-ranking military commanders, nuclear scientists, and ordinary civilians.
More than a week later, the United States also jumped on the bandwagon and bombed three Iranian nuclear sites in a grave violation of the United Nations Charter, international law, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
In response, Iranian armed forces targeted strategic sites across the occupied territories as well as the al-Udeid air base in Qatar, the largest American military base in West Asia.
On June 24, the Israeli regime declared a unilateral ceasefire without any preconditions, a sign of its defeat in the face of powerful and unwavering Iranian retaliation.
- The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor has denounced the US-Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) over the ongoing deadly attacks on starving civilians at aid distribution sites in Gaza, calling for an urgent cessation of the GHF’s activities.
The Geneva-based human rights organisation, in a report released on Saturday, is calling for international investigations into purported war crimes.
The report highlighted the recent massacre in the al-Shakoush district of Rafah, where 30 Palestinians lost their lives and more than 180 others were injured.
The tragic incident took place as the closure of aid points led to a large crowd of thousands congregating in one area amid the continuing Israeli blockade.
Witnesses and video footage examined by Euro-Med indicated that private American security forces, in collaboration with Israeli troops, fired live rounds and tear gas canisters at civilians seeking food.
The Euro-Med Monitor has charged the so-called GHF with converting humanitarian assistance into a tool of starvation and death under the control of the Israeli military, thereby superseding the former United Nations aid system.
It said that over 150 Palestinians were killed throughout the Gaza Strip in the bloodiest day since May.
The humanitarian organisation called for criminal accountability for all parties involved, including United States President Donald Trump, referring to his administration’s endorsement of the Israeli-led GHF ‘aid system’ as well as its extensive military and diplomatic support for the regime’s genocidal campaign in Gaza.
It also emphasised that employing lethal force against civilians at humanitarian aid locations breaches international law and amounts to war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
The Euro-Med Monitor also called upon the global community to enforce sanctions against Israel, reestablish humanitarian access to Gaza, and ensure that those responsible for war crimes are held accountable through judicial systems and legal mechanisms.
A survivor of a recent massacre recounted to a Euro-Med team how civilians forced to dive for cover in a pit near the aid site were assaulted by heavy gunfire from Israeli tanks and snipers, killing many in just one hour.
The humanitarian organisation has warned that the ongoing management of aid distribution by GHF poses a threat to the lives of Palestinians.
It urged a return to impartial, UN-led humanitarian initiatives to stop any more atrocities in Gaza.
At least 57,882 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and another 138,095 injured in the brutal Israeli onslaught on Gaza since October 7th, 2023.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former minister of military affairs Yoav Gallant, citing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the besieged coastal territory.