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Italy and Canada have raised concerns about the treatment of their nationals who were beaten and robbed by Israeli settlers in the Palestinian territories under occupation.

Particulars Surrounding the Brutal Assault

Three Italians and a Canadian were assaulted in the pre-dawn hours of Sunday in the village of Ein al-Duyuk, near the city of Jericho. They were serving to help shield Palestinian residents from escalating violence by settlers.

“At 4.30am on 30 November, a group of ten masked settlers, two carrying army-issued rifles, burst into the home where we were resting after a night shift,” said the Canadian national.

All four were hospitalised and one, an male Italian volunteer, was still receiving care in Ramallah on Monday for more serious wounds.

Escalating Violence in Ein al-Duyuk

The pace and intensity of attacks in this area have increased substantially over the last eight weeks. This coincides with the establishment of a settler outpost in the vicinity and the influx of new, confrontational settlers.

Activists say that aggressive acts have become an almost daily occurrence. These incidents have involved settler mobs forcibly entering houses, beating villagers, and taking sheep, vehicles, and destroying solar panels.

International Law and Official Responses

Although all Israeli communities on land seized in 1967 are considered unlawful by the international community, irregular outposts are also illegal under Israeli law. Ein al-Duyuk is in Area A of the West Bank, a zone theoretically under the control of the Palestinian governing body.

Canada's Department of Global Affairs stated it “strongly condemns the acts of violence committed by radical settlers and opposes any actions or talk about absorbing Palestinian land.”

The Italian foreign minister, Antonio Tajani, told reporters: “We cannot tolerate of this hostility. This is not the way for anyone to assert their rights.”

Absence of Protection and Broader Context

Residents and advocates report there has been little effective action by security forces to stop the attacks or dismantle the outpost. Leading members of the Israeli governing coalition are vocal backers of settlements in the territory.

According to UN figures that settlers and Israeli forces have taken the lives of over a thousand Palestinians, including 233 children, in the West Bank over the past two years.

Voice of the Volunteers

The injured Canadian noted that, despite the attack, she felt the presence of volunteers in the village had been valuable.

“The villagers stood taller while we were present,” she said. “The children played freely. Families could sleep soundly. Just that made our presence worthwhile.”

A local organizer working with groups that bring in international observers said the new outpost has brought in ideologically driven settlers who appear to be part of a coordinated network.