Israeli aggression in occupied West Bank damaging Europe
The “alarming” situation in the West Bank is affecting the entire world, including European countries, despite their political support for Israel on its war on Gaza.
On January 14, The National revealed that some fundamental infrastructures, funded by European countries in the occupied West Bank, are being systematically destroyed by Israeli settlers.
“Vital infrastructures worth hundreds of thousands of euros funded by countries including Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands are already recorded as having been destroyed since October 7, although the total amount is believed to be far higher”, wrote The National.
According to the news agency, Ireland declared that a number of the affected nations are demanding compensation.
In the meanwhile, Ireland revealed that two of its projects with that same NGO had been vandalised since October 7.
“A 2015 Irish Aid-supported water project and a 2016 energy project,” a representative for Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs said.
Comet-ME, the organization behind those projects, which provides specifically water and electricity infrastructures, estimates a total of €200,000 of damage since the beginning of the so called “genocide” in Gaza.
“The issue was almost unprecedented, with only four incidents of vandalism to donated property before October 7 recorded since the organisation was established, in 2009”, The National wrote about Comet-ME declaration.
The worst assaults on the NGO’s projects happened immediately after October 7. Settlers started to attack water infrastructure and solar panels in projects around the South Al Khalil Hills. Palestinians have been forced to flee the area because of this brutal settler violence, reports the media outlet.
Allegra Pacheco of the West Bank Protection Consortium, a program supported by several European nations that provides humanitarian protection in those areas, said that it still hasn’t a “complete picture” about the cost of settler vandalism to projects funded by European states.
“Many of the Palestinian communities where the population was forced out by settler violence are inaccessible either due to physical obstacles or due to the threat of further violence by settlers nearby,” she added.
Despite this money loss, the UK, Germany and The Netherlands continue to strongly support Israel’s offensive on Gaza.
On this issue, Germany declared to be aware of settler vandalism against its infrastructures by adding that it didn’t cause a huge economic loss for the country.
“The increasing violence in the West Bank is of deep concern to Germany,” it said.
“The UK did not answer any of the questions posed by The National about damage to property it funded, nor about whether it will take legal action. The possible cost to British taxpayers is therefore unclear”, reports the media outlet.
Then, the Netherlands said to the National that it is “working closely with Comet-ME to find out exactly what happened”.
“Once that picture is complete, we will consider follow-up steps,” it added.
The National wrote that Ireland admitted that those countries are “working together to pursue compensation for the West Bank Protection Consortium”.
“The Consortium has sought, but not received, accumulative compensation regarding confiscated or demolished assets since 2015,” it added.
The National opines that Israeli authorities have given clear orders to destroy European-donated structures in Area C of the West Bank for many years.
The National/United Nations
