A senior Palestinian leader has warned that Israeli settler attacks risk setting off an “explosion” in the occupied West Bank, while urging that any response remain peaceful.
Jibril Rajoub, secretary general of the central committee of the Palestinian Authority’s ruling Fatah faction, made the remarks in Cairo. He said he called for “peaceful confrontation” while taking part in meetings with other Palestinian movements, including Hamas.
Rajoub urges peaceful struggle over bloodshed
Rajoub said the army and settlers, under the supervision of the Israeli government, were carrying out terrorism that was a prelude to a coming reaction and explosion.
He said a “peaceful, nonviolent struggle is a necessity and a strategic choice for all Palestinians”, adding that “bloodshed is no longer an acceptable option”.
Settler violence intensifies before Israel’s October 27 vote
Settlers have carried out daily physical attacks, thefts and other assaults against Palestinians. The violence has risen ahead of the October 27 elections, in which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is seeking a new mandate while governing with the far-right, which strongly backs settlements.
Violence has also increased as extremist settlers try to stop the Palestinian olive harvest. More than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements, which are considered illegal under international law, alongside around three million Palestinians.
Cairo talks call for a single Palestinian authority
Rajoub said the talks called for “unified political representation”, a “single authority” and “only one legitimate armed force”. They came after Mahmoud Abbas, who has ruled since 2005, delayed elections slated to start next month until September 2027.
At least 1,125 Palestinians have died in the West Bank since October 2023, mostly at the hands of the Israeli military, according to a tally based on Palestinian health ministry figures. The United Nations says settler attacks have killed 23 Palestinians in that period, while Israeli figures show at least 49 Israelis were killed in Palestinian attacks.
In Gaza, figures from the health ministry run under Hamas show 74,459 Palestinians killed in the Israeli offensive since October 2023. The United Nations generally considers those figures reliable. Hamas took over Gaza in 2007, and Israel has vowed to obliterate the group after the October 7, 2023 attack, which resulted in 1,221 deaths.
