Palestinians check burnt vehicles after Israeli settlers attack near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. Reuters
Palestinians check burnt vehicles after Israeli settlers attack near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. Reuters
Palestinians check burnt vehicles after Israeli settlers attack near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. Reuters
Palestinians check burnt vehicles after Israeli settlers attack near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. Reuters

'Gravity' of settler violence discussed in Israel-Palestinian calls


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Israeli politicians condemned extremist violence against Palestinians in phone calls with senior Palestinians on Tuesday.

Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said he reassured the Palestine Liberation Organisation's Hussein Al Sheikh about Israel's intention to crack down on settler violence.

Both the phone call and the announcement that such discussion took place were unusual for Israel's religious-nationalist government and followed mounting expressions of US concern about the situation in the occupied West Bank, among areas where Palestinians, with foreign backing, seek statehood.

Palestinians seek to establish an independent state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with East Jerusalem as their capital.

Peace talks that had been brokered by the US have been frozen since 2014.

A Hamas gun attack that killed four Israeli civilians outside a West Bank settlement sparked days of violent incursions into Palestinian villages and towns by groups of settlers last week. Twelve suspects have been arrested in the latter incidents, Israeli police said.

“Israel views with gravity the violence inflicted upon Palestinian civilians in recent days by extremist elements," Mr Gallant's office quoted him as telling Mr Al Sheikh.

“Israel would exact full penalty of the law from the rioters,” Mr Gallant added, according to the statement.

There was no immediate comment from Mr Al Sheikh's office.

Israeli forces, which intensified raids against suspected Palestinian militants over the last 15 months, will continue to operate “anywhere required”, Mr Gallant said, while describing a calming of the situation in the West Bank as his common interest with Mr Al Sheikh.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog, whose role is largely ceremonial, also spoke with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday for the occasion of Eid Al Adha, a statement from Mr Herzog's office confirmed.

Mr Herzog “underlined his unequivocal denouncement of the recent assault on innocent Palestinians by extremists”

T20 World Cup Qualifier A, Muscat

Friday, February 18: 10am - Oman v Nepal, Canada v Philippines; 2pm - Ireland v UAE, Germany v Bahrain

Saturday, February 19: 10am - Oman v Canada, Nepal v Philippines; 2pm - UAE v Germany, Ireland v Bahrain

Monday, February 21: 10am - Ireland v Germany, UAE v Bahrain; 2pm - Nepal v Canada, Oman v Philippines

Tuesday, February 22: 2pm – semi-finals

Thursday, February 24: 2pm – final

UAE squad: Ahmed Raza (captain), Muhammad Waseem, Chirag Suri, Vriitya Aravind, Rohan Mustafa, Kashif Daud, Zahoor Khan, Alishan Sharafu, Raja Akifullah, Karthik Meiyappan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Zafar Farid, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Rahul Bhatia

All matches to be streamed live on icc.tv

Kathryn Hawkes of House of Hawkes on being a good guest (because we’ve all had bad ones)

  • Arrive with a thank you gift, or make sure you have one for your host by the time you leave. 
  • Offer to buy groceries, cook them a meal or take your hosts out for dinner.
  • Help out around the house.
  • Entertain yourself so that your hosts don’t feel that they constantly need to.
  • Leave no trace of your stay – if you’ve borrowed a book, return it to where you found it.
  • Offer to strip the bed before you go.
Updated: June 27, 2023, 3:46 PM