An Israeli army raid on a number of Palestinian media outlets across the occupied West Bank yesterday has been condemned by the chair of the European Parliament Delegation for Relations with Palestine (DPAL).

Two people – including one journalist – were arrested during these raids by the Israeli army in Ramallah, Hebron, Bethlehem and Nablus. Equipment was confiscated in addition to closure orders being imposed.

Condemning the attacks, DPAL chair Neoklis Sylikiotis said:

“These Israeli attacks are part of a systematic effort to silence media in Palestine. Their goal is to prevent reporting about the occupation and Israel's daily violations of human rights.”
 
On the same day the Israeli government announced the construction of more settlement units, this time in the heart of the Palestinian city of Hebron, where a few dozens of settlers have made life miserable for the majority Palestinian population.
 
“Settlement expansion constitutes a concrete threat to the two-state solution supported by the European Union and the international community. They are an obstacle to peace as they threaten the contiguity of a future Palestinian state.”
 
“I reiterate our support for a viable independent Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, on the 1967 borders, living in peace alongside Israel,” Sylikiotis stated. “The EU must exert pressure on Israel in order to put an end to settlement construction, end to the occupation and commit to a roadmap for peace and the two-state solution. We want peace for the Palestinian people, the Israeli people, and all of the people in the Middle East.”