Israeli settler attacks 'sow terror' among Palestinians, European leaders say

Germany, Italy, France and Britain called on Israel to abide by international law and protect Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in a joint statement released Thursday.

"We - France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom - strongly condemn the massive increase of settler violence against Palestinian civilians and call for stability in the West Bank," the foreign ministers said. 

"Destabilising activity risks undermining the success of the 20 Point Plan for Gaza and prospects for long-term peace and security," they added.

"The number of attacks has reached new heights, with 264 attacks in October according to OCHA, the largest number of settlers’ attacks in a single month since the United Nations began recording such incidents in 2006."

Ocha is the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. 

"These attacks must stop," the statement continued.

"They sow terror among civilians, they are harmful to the ongoing peace efforts and for the lasting security of the State of Israel itself," they added.

"We, ministers of France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom, call on the Government of Israel to abide by its obligations under international law and protect the Palestinian population."