Wes Streeting has condemned “completely unjustifiable” violence by extremist settlers in the West Bank, adding:”It doesn’t serve in Israel’s self-interest…. it has got to stop.”
The Health Secretary appeared at a Guardian Live event, where he was asked for his thoughts on the end of the Gaza ceasefire, and continued violence in the West Bank.
At one stage, Streeting said the government had used “every diplomatic lever available” to try to bring an end to the “bloody war” in Gaza between Israel and Hamas, but he admitted as a cabinet minister he still feels “powerless”.
Responding to questions from Guardian political editor Pippe Crerar, he said on Tuesday:”I find it soul-destroying seeing the breakdown of the ceasefire and the impact we are seeing on innocent human lives …
“I was looking back at some photos just this morning of a place called Susya in the West Bank, which has been under threat of demolition by the Israelis for many years and now is on the frontline of settler violence.
“This is completely unjustifiable. It is completely intolerable. It doesn’t serve in Israel’s self interest. It cannot be justified as self-defence, and it has got to stop.”
Streeting added the conflict in Gaza had been “appalling” and said it “does nothing for Israelis or Palestinians.”
Earlier this week Hamdan Ballal, who directed the Oscar-winning documentary film “No Other Land” awas reportedly injured during clashes between settlers and Palestinians in the southern West Bank village of Susya.
He, and two other Palestinians were arrested, but then freed over claims they had responded to stone throwing attacks.
Footage from the village showed a masked individual throwing stones and attacking Palestinians, and hitting the car of activists who had come to assist the residents. An activist with the Center for Jewish Nonviolence, Josh Kimelman, told The Associated Press that the settlers attacked their cars to make them flee the area.
