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‘Total impunity’: EU commissioner condemns Israeli settler violence in West Bank
European Commissioner Hadja Lahbib has denounced escalating Israeli settler attacks in the occupied West Bank, saying they are continuing “with total impunity”.
In a post on X, Lahbib, who oversees the EU’s crisis management and equality portfolio, wrote: “Palestinian families and children continue to be forced to leave their homes in the West Bank because of repeated settler attacks.
“This escalating violence takes place with total impunity. Safe and voluntary returns must be guaranteed.”
Her comments follow a surge in settler violence. According to the UN, more than 740 settler attacks have impacted about 200 Palestinian communities in the first half of 2025 alone.
Earlier, we reported for the third day in a row Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian shepherds in the village of al-Minya, southeast of Bethlehem – part of a wider pattern of intimidation and forced displacement across the West Bank.
Recognition of Palestinian state ‘only way’ to peace: Macron
French President Emmanuel Macron, who is in the UK for what is the first state visit by a European leader since Brexit, has made the following remarks:
- A ceasefire in Gaza is a matter of urgency.
- A war without end in Gaza poses a threat to the entire region.
- Formal recognition of a Palestinian state is the only way to build peace in the region.
- Britain and France must work together to defend an efficient multilateralism and to protect the international order.
UK MP accuses parliament of censorship over Palestine Action speech
British lawmaker Zarah Sultana has accused the UK Parliament of censorship after a section of her recent speech expressing solidarity with the activist group Palestine Action was removed from the official parliamentary record.
“Parliament and Hansard have removed ‘We are all Palestine Action’ from my speech on Wednesday 2 July 2025 – despite me saying it,” Sultana wrote on X.
Hansard is the official transcript of debates and speeches in the UK Parliament, which keeps a historical record of what is said by MPs.
“This is a blatant attempt to censor me and rewrite the record. This is not how a democracy behaves. We will not be silenced,” she said.
Her remarks come days after the UK government designated Palestine Action a proscribed “terrorist organisation”, criminalising support for the group. Palestine Action has been known for its direct action targeting weapons manufacturers linked to Israel, including Elbit Systems.
