France has urged Israeli officials to take "all necessary measures" to "stop these terrorist actions." This request was made following an attack carried out by armed assailants on European diplomats in the West Bank on Saturday.
Response from the French Foreign Ministry
The French Foreign Ministry stated in a statement released on Sunday: "France calls on Israeli officials to arrest and bring to justice the perpetrators of this very serious attack. Additionally, Israeli officials must take all necessary measures to end these terrorist actions and ensure the safety of civilian populations and diplomatic missions, in accordance with international law."
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Details of the Incident and Reactions
This incident occurred in the town of Taybeh, a predominantly Christian town north of Jerusalem, where diplomats and other officials from France, Poland, and Belgium were observing olive harvesting by local people. Footage of the attack shows assailants engaging with a convoy of diplomats, and a man draped in the tricolor flag of France lying next to a vehicle.
Jean-Noël Barrot, the French Foreign Minister, tweeted: "The mayor of the town of Aulnoy-Émerse was severely attacked by extremist assailants in the West Bank" and added that Israel "must swiftly stop these criminal acts."
Maxim Prevot, the Belgian Foreign Minister, also stated that in addition to the attack on the French mayor, a Belgian vehicle was also damaged in the incident. He expressed that "Israeli officials must protect Palestinians, ensure the safety of diplomats and journalists, and bring those responsible for this incident to justice," adding that Belgium "will continue to push for EU sanctions against the perpetrators of this violence and their supporters."
On Sunday morning, a spokesperson for the European Union announced that the bloc "strongly condemns the attacks by extremist assailants in the West Bank, including against European diplomats."
The spokesperson added: "We take note of the positive statements from several Israeli representatives who condemned these attacks, but we expect full responsibility and effective actions to prevent further violence and violent abuses against Palestinians, especially during the olive harvesting season."
A statement from the Israeli army strongly condemned this "act of severe violence that occurred in the Taybeh area and in which diplomatic representatives were attacked." The Israeli army stated that "based on initial investigations, no Israeli army soldiers were present at the scene of the attack at the time."
However, the office of Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, called for caution in "drawing conclusions from reports regarding this attack" and noted that "any violence against diplomats is unacceptable."
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