UN ‘Alarmed’ at West Bank Violence Day After Israeli Raid

Israeli soldiers argue with a demonstrator holding a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israeli settlements in Jordan Valley in the Israeli-occupied West Bank June 6, 2022. Picture taken June 6, 2022. (Reuters)
Israeli soldiers argue with a demonstrator holding a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israeli settlements in Jordan Valley in the Israeli-occupied West Bank June 6, 2022. Picture taken June 6, 2022. (Reuters)
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UN ‘Alarmed’ at West Bank Violence Day After Israeli Raid

Israeli soldiers argue with a demonstrator holding a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israeli settlements in Jordan Valley in the Israeli-occupied West Bank June 6, 2022. Picture taken June 6, 2022. (Reuters)
Israeli soldiers argue with a demonstrator holding a Palestinian flag during a protest against Israeli settlements in Jordan Valley in the Israeli-occupied West Bank June 6, 2022. Picture taken June 6, 2022. (Reuters)

The UN Middle East peace envoy urged Israel and the Palestinians Wednesday to calm surging violence in the occupied West Bank, a day after the latest Israeli raid killed six peopl

"We are in the midst of a cycle of violence that must be stopped immediately," Tor Wennesland said in a statement.

"The Security Council has spoken with one voice, calling on the parties to observe calm and restraint, and to refrain from provocative actions, incitement and inflammatory rhetoric."

The call came a day after intense fighting during an Israeli raid in the flashpoint northern West Bank city of Jenin, in which the soldiers killed six Palestinians, including a member of Hamas accused of killing two Israeli settlers last month, AFP reported.

Wennesland said he was "alarmed" at the violence, which the army said included soldiers launching shoulder-fired rockets amid ferocious gunfire.

Nabil Abu Rudeina, spokesman for Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas, called the use of rockets in Jenin refugee camp on Tuesday an act of "all-out war", Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

The Jenin raid was the latest in a string of deadly military operations in the Palestinian territory, which Israel has occupied since the Six-Day War of 1967.

Among the six killed was Abdel Fatah Hussein Khroushah, 49. The Israeli army said he was a "terrorist operative" suspected of killing two Israeli settlers in the Palestinian town of Huwara on February 26.

The killing of the two settlers, which came just hours after Israeli and Palestinian officials pledged in Jordan to "prevent further violence", sparked fury among Israeli settlers, with hundreds later torching Palestinian homes and cars in the West Bank town.

"I am deeply disturbed by the continuing violence," Wennesland said, condemning both Israeli settler violence against Palestinians and Palestinian attacks against Israelis.

"Israel, as the occupying power, must ensure that the civilian population is protected and perpetrators are held to account," he said.

Overnight, a rocket was fired from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip but fell short and exploded inside the coastal enclave, the Israeli military said.

Commitments made by the two sides in Jordan last month, when they agreed to "commit to de-escalation", must be implemented if "we are to find a way forward", Wennesland said.

"The parties must refrain from further steps that would lead us to more violence," he added.



Spanish Foreign Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Syria Must End Violence Permanently

Attendees pose for the official group photo at the IX Conference on Syria, on the occasion of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union (EU) in Brussels, Belgium, 17 March 2025. (EPA)
Attendees pose for the official group photo at the IX Conference on Syria, on the occasion of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union (EU) in Brussels, Belgium, 17 March 2025. (EPA)
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Spanish Foreign Minister to Asharq Al-Awsat: Syria Must End Violence Permanently

Attendees pose for the official group photo at the IX Conference on Syria, on the occasion of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union (EU) in Brussels, Belgium, 17 March 2025. (EPA)
Attendees pose for the official group photo at the IX Conference on Syria, on the occasion of the Foreign Affairs Council of the European Union (EU) in Brussels, Belgium, 17 March 2025. (EPA)

Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares told Asharq Al-Awsat ahead of a European Council meeting in Brussels that European foreign ministers assured their Syrian counterpart Asaad al-Shaibani that the EU is committed to supporting the interim government to ensure humanitarian aid reaches all Syrians in need.

He confirmed that the EU would announce additional aid amounting to 10 million euros to address the basic needs of Syrian citizens.

Albares emphasized that, in return, there must be a definitive end to violence, respect for the rights of all ethnic and religious minorities, and the protection of women's rights.

Donors at a European Union-led conference on Monday pledged 5.8 billion euros ($6.3 billion) to help Syria's new authorities as they struggle with humanitarian and security problems after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.

Moreover, Albares expressed satisfaction with the agreement reached between the transitional government and the Kurds, paving the way for their full integration into Syria’s peaceful future.

Contrary to expectations ahead of the Brussels donors’ conference, the European Union did not reduce its pledges to Syria but instead committed approximately 2.7 billion dollars (2.5 billion euros) for 2025 and 2026.

The majority of this funding will come in the form of direct aid through international agencies and humanitarian organizations, with no involvement from the transitional government.

The latter had insisted on sending a clear message, through Shaibani, rejecting any “foreign agendas” being imposed on Syria, according to sources at the conference.

Discussions at the conference focused on a “comprehensive peaceful transition” and reaching a political solution to ensure a stable future for Syria.

The challenges of poverty, hunger, lack of education, and the deterioration of critical infrastructure, especially in health, education, and banking sectors, were also addressed.

Sources revealed that the US withdrew from the donor group, despite the presence of American organizations and individuals at the conference.

The general atmosphere at the conference was described as positive and calm, with efforts focused on pushing the reconstruction process forward in Syria.

However, the aid provided remains minimal, covering less than 1% of Syria’s estimated $350-$400 billion reconstruction needs.