Occupied West Bank: American ambassador calls for sanctions against perpetrators of violence

The United States Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, called on Saturday September 5 for “severe consequences” against the perpetrators of violence in the occupied West Bank, during a meeting in Turmus Ayya with American-Palestinians who had been the target of attacks by Israeli settlers. “One of the messages we have given and will continue to send is that people in these communities have the right to live in safety and that the government has a responsibility to ensure that this is the case”the ambassador told journalists.

Around half a million Israelis live in the occupied West Bank, alongside three million Palestinians. Incidents occur almost daily, with settlers attacking Palestinians, their crops or livestock, or attempting to drive them from their land.

“Our message is clear: a crime is a crime, an act of terror is an act of terror. Those who commit them should expect severe consequences.”declared the American diplomat. Mike Huckabee, however, refrained from directly blaming the Israeli authorities. The ambassador, known for his long-standing support for Israel, was visiting American citizens living in the occupied Palestinian territory.

Israel’s reputation “suffers when a small group of vandals is confused with the population as a whole”he stressed. “But I don’t think that’s the case.”. “There may be a few hundred people responsible, but that’s already a few hundred too many”he added.

Calls to empty the Gaza Strip

Asked also about the situation in the Gaza Strip, Mike Huckabee assured that there was no “no plan” Israeli government aimed at forcibly expelling Palestinians from the territory. Several Israeli ministers have called for emptying the Gaza Strip and transferring its population abroad.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, from the far right, presented a plan on Thursday providing for the departure of 250,000 Palestinians from Gaza during the first year, then that of the rest of the approximately two million inhabitants over the following six years. His comments came a day after Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel was ready to move Palestinians out of Gaza by sea and land, but was waiting for the United States, which he said was discussing their destination.

“I can tell you categorically that there is no Israeli plan to expel the population of Gaza against their will”the American ambassador said on Saturday. “If people want to leave, they must have the right to do so”he argued, describing it as ” shame “ the fact of“imprison” Palestinians in Gaza. “No one is suggesting that there would be forced displacement – ​​neither the Israelis nor the Americans. I don’t know anyone who supports this.”he added.

“Crime against humanity of forced transfer”

The visit comes a day after the publication of a report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights accusing Israel of forcibly displacing more than 33,000 Palestinians from the Jenin, Tulkarem and Nour Shams refugee camps in the occupied West Bank during the “Iron Wall” military operation launched in early 2025.

The UN considers that this displacement, described as being committed “large scale, prolonged and systematic outside refugee camps (…) raises serious concerns about the commission of the crime against humanity of forcible transfer”.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said that the conduct of the operation suggested that it aimed to expel as many Palestinians as possible and allow the expansion of Israeli settlements. Israel has rejected these accusations.