Brazil’s Foreign Ministry condemned what it called a new wave of Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, using unusually forceful language for a diplomatic statement. The ministry also criticized Israeli government statements promising expanded settlement construction and intensified military operations in the territory.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Brazil’s government said it condemned “in the strongest terms” attacks on the lives, physical safety and property of Palestinian civilians. It added that many incidents had occurred alongside Israeli security forces. The statement was reported by Folha de S.Paulo in single-source reporting.
Recent Violence
The statement followed a deadly confrontation Friday in the village of Tal, southwest of Nablus. Four Palestinians and two Israelis — an Israeli settler and a soldier — were killed, according to the source. Folha described the incident as one of the most serious episodes since attacks by settlers on Palestinian villages increased this year.
On Sunday, Israeli settlers reportedly set fire to and vandalized two mosques in the northern West Bank. The attackers painted Stars of David and Hebrew messages, including the word “revenge,” on the walls. The Israeli military said troops went to the area around Qusra after receiving a report of a mosque fire. Soldiers found evidence of arson and graffiti, the military said, but the suspects had fled before their arrival.
Palestinian Authority figures cited by Folha say 87 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since the start of the year, including 21 killed by settlers from Jewish settlements. United Nations data cited in the report indicate that about 850 Palestinians have been injured in settler attacks during the same period.
Settlement Expansion
The Brazilian ministry called on Israel, as the occupying power, to protect the Palestinian population in line with international humanitarian law and to hold everyone responsible for violence against civilians accountable.
The statement also referred to a July 2024 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice. The court said Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip was unlawful and called for the removal of settlements and reparations for Palestinians. Advisory opinions are not binding.
Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced Friday that his government would expand settlements in the West Bank, three months before Israel’s elections. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said nearby Palestinian villages should be emptied and new settlements established to improve security. He described that policy as an appropriate “Zionist response” to terrorism.
Israel says its policies are driven by security concerns and the fight against terrorism. It rejects the characterization of its separate legal systems and road access rules in the West Bank as racial discrimination or apartheid. About 750,000 Israelis live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem alongside roughly 3 million Palestinians, according to the report.