The European Union is launching a €6 million program to support Palestinian communities facing escalating settler violence in the West Bank, as attacks have surged 27% and displaced more than 1,700 people, with prosecutions remaining rare.
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa confirmed the initiative on Monday, stating in a statement, "In coordination with the government, the European Union will launch a program to support victims of settler terrorism." The program represents a direct institutional response to what international organizations have documented as a dramatic increase in violence against Palestinian civilians.
Protection and Documentation
A source in the office of the EU representative in the Palestinian territories told Agence France-Presse that the EU would support civil society organizations with protective equipment, "such as fences for Palestinian communities facing attacks from settlers," and a protective presence. The office of the EU representative in the Palestinian territories also said, "It's a project that the EU is developing with local and international NGOs, with the aim of documenting attacks on Palestinians by violent Israeli settlers, and to support the communities that are victims of such attacks."
The documentation component addresses a critical gap in accountability, as the Israeli NGO Yesh Din reported that only three percent of recorded settler attacks resulted in prosecutions. This near-total absence of legal consequences has allowed violence to escalate unchecked, leaving Palestinian communities without effective protection from their own government or Israeli authorities.
Alarming Escalation
Attacks by extremist Jewish settlers against both Palestinians and Israeli security forces in the West Bank rose by 27% in 2025, according to figures presented by the IDF in January. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated in March, following the murder of a Palestinian by extremist settlers, that there have been more than six settler attacks daily since the latest Iran war started, displacing 1,700 Palestinians.
The daily frequency of attacks has created a humanitarian crisis for Palestinian families, who face violence while trying to access farmland, water sources, and their own homes. The displacement of 1,700 people represents entire communities forced to abandon their property and livelihoods due to systematic intimidation and assault.
International Legal Context
Last week, the European External Action Service condemned both the increasing number of settler attacks witnessed in the West Bank in recent months and "Israel's unilateral actions aiming to expand its presence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion of 19 July 2024 declared to be unlawful." The ICJ opinion, now in its second year, provides the legal framework within which the EU is acting to protect civilian populations.
The EU's decision to fund protective infrastructure and documentation efforts reflects a recognition that Palestinian communities lack institutional protection against organized violence. By working through local and international NGOs, the program aims to provide both immediate physical security and long-term accountability mechanisms that Israeli authorities have failed to establish.
Why This Matters:
The EU's €6 million program addresses a protection crisis where Palestinian communities face daily violence with virtually no legal recourse, as only three percent of settler attacks result in prosecution. The displacement of 1,700 people and the 27% surge in attacks demonstrate how the absence of institutional accountability has enabled systematic violence against civilians. By funding protective equipment and documentation efforts, the EU is attempting to fill the gap left by Israeli authorities' failure to protect Palestinian communities or prosecute perpetrators. The program recognizes that without international intervention and support for civil society organizations, vulnerable populations will continue to face violence and displacement with no means of defense or justice, undermining basic human rights and the rule of law.