EU commissioner calls for safe return of displaced Palestinians

By Necva Tastan Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) - European commissioner for equality, preparedness and crisis management, Hadja Lahbib, on Tuesday expressed concern over the growing number of Palestinian families forced from their homes in the occupied West Bank due to repeated attacks by Israeli settlers.

“Palestinian families and children continue to be forced to leave their homes in the West Bank because of repeated settler attacks,” Lahbib said on X.

She stressed that it is taking place “with total impunity,” and urged the international community to ensure accountability.

Lahbib also called for the protection of displaced civilians and emphasized the right to return.

“Safe and voluntary returns must be guaranteed,” she said.

According to Israeli government data, illegal settlers staged 414 attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank in the first half of this year, up 30% from 2024.

Since the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, at least 989 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the West Bank by Israeli forces and settlers, the Palestinian Health Ministry said.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.