EU launches aid program for victims of violence by Israeli occupiers in West Bank

The European Union has launched a program to support victims of attacks by Israeli occupiers in the occupied West Bank, aimed at providing preventive protection for Palestinians, the official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported Thursday.

The announcement was made by EU Representative to Palestine Alexandre Stutzmann during a visit Wednesday by an accredited diplomatic delegation, joined by EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process Christophe Bigot and foreign ambassadors to the village of al-Mughayyir, east of Ramallah.

Stutzmann said the EU views attacks by Israeli occupiers against Palestinians in the West Bank as a “wake-up call.”

“Unfortunately, we were not able to prevent these incidents, but we can work to ensure they are not repeated,” he said.

The EU is currently considering “firm political measures, alongside other steps, including launching a victims’ support program,” as part of efforts to curb escalating violence in the Palestinian territories, he added.

The initiative is based on field volunteer groups to help protect Palestinians -- though their exact roles have not yet been clarified -- as well as the development of an integrated system to enhance civilian safety.

The move comes amid growing international calls for concrete steps to stop attacks by Israeli occupiers and ensure protection for Palestinian civilians.

On April 21, the Palestinian Health Ministry reported that two Palestinians, including a child, were killed by Israeli occupiers’ gunfire in al-Mughayyir.

Violence by Israeli occupiers and the Israeli army in the West Bank has escalated since October 2023, killing at least 1,154 Palestinians, injuring thousands and leading to nearly 22,000 arrests, according to official Palestinian data.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul