A senior Palestinian official warned Monday that mounting attacks by Israeli settler terrorists and Israeli forces could ignite a wider confrontation in the occupied West Bank, urging peaceful resistance as international criticism grows over settler terrorism, illegal settlement expansion and restrictions on Palestinian farmland.
Jibril Rajoub, secretary-general of the central committee of the Palestinian Authority's ruling Fatah movement, criticized the Israeli government for overseeing violence against Palestinians amid intensifying attacks by illegal Israeli settlers.
"The terrorism carried out by the army and settlers, under the supervision of the Israeli government... is a prelude to a coming reaction and explosion," Rajoub told Agence France-Presse (AFP) in Cairo.
Despite the escalating violence, Rajoub called for nonviolent resistance to the Israeli occupation, describing peaceful struggle as a strategic choice for Palestinians.
"Bloodshed is no longer an acceptable option," he said, urging Palestinians to confront the occupation peacefully despite continued Israeli attacks.
His remarks came during meetings in Cairo involving Palestinian political movements, including Fatah and Hamas, aimed at addressing longstanding divisions and establishing a unified political leadership.
The talks followed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' decision to postpone elections originally scheduled to begin next month until September 2027.
Rajoub said the discussions focused on unified political representation under a single governing authority and one legitimate armed force.
Hamas has governed Gaza since 2007, when the Palestinian political divide deepened following its takeover of the territory.
Settler terrorism draws European condemnation
Germany on Monday condemned attacks by illegal Israeli settlers targeting European diplomats and an American photojournalist in the occupied West Bank, joining calls for an investigation.
German Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kathrin Deschauer described the incidents as troubling and expressed solidarity with those targeted.
The attacks occurred over the weekend near Taybeh, east of Ramallah, where a European delegation was visiting Palestinian communities during the annual olive harvest.
The delegation included French and Belgian consuls, a Polish representative and Catholic Church officials.
Masked Israeli settler terrorists confronted members of the delegation, while a window of a Belgian consular vehicle was smashed.
Deschauer said Berlin supported European demands for an investigation into the attacks.
Britain also condemned the violence and warned companies and individuals against participating in construction projects linked to illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband urged businesses to avoid bidding for tenders connected to the E1 settlement project, warning that involvement could result in legal consequences and sanctions.
"We urge businesses and individuals not to proceed with bids for E1 construction tenders," Miliband said Monday.
He said the British government had introduced new powers allowing sanctions against individuals and companies involved in constructing illegal Israeli settlements.
Miliband also reaffirmed London's commitment to legislation banning imports from illegal Israeli settlements and targeting services that finance or facilitate their expansion.
"This U.K. Government will not accept the continued displacement of Palestinians and the unlawful occupation that persists," he said.
"We will not be bystanders in the destruction of the two-state solution," he added.
U.N. warns of escalating attacks on Palestinian farmers
United Nations experts warned Monday that Palestinian farmers face increasing settler terrorism, destruction of agricultural land and restrictions on access to their olive groves as the annual harvest begins.
The experts said attacks by illegal Israeli settlers have intensified in recent years, threatening the livelihoods of thousands of Palestinian families who depend on olive cultivation.
During the 2025 olive harvest, 178 settler attacks linked to harvesting activities were documented across 88 Palestinian towns and villages, the highest number of affected communities since 2020.
More than 6,000 olive trees and saplings were vandalized during the season, nearly double the 2024 figure and the highest number recorded in six years.
The experts also expressed alarm over Israeli military orders issued in September 2026 authorizing the removal of vegetation from approximately 339,000 square meters (84 acres) of Palestinian agricultural land.
The orders affect olive groves in Jenin, Qabatiya and Beit Rima and could lead to the uprooting of trees cultivated by Palestinian families for generations.
According to the experts, Palestinian landowners have been given extremely limited time to remove vegetation or challenge the orders.
Israeli authorities have also increasingly denied farmers permits to access their land, while revised military regulations prohibit Palestinians from harvesting olives on areas Israel designates as state land, including plots cultivated for generations.
The U.N. experts emphasized that olive farming is central to Palestinian food security, economic survival and cultural heritage.
They called on Israel to protect Palestinian farmers from settler attacks, guarantee access to agricultural land and fulfill its obligations under international law.
The experts also urged the international community to increase pressure on Israel to halt settlement expansion, prevent further displacement and ensure accountability for violations of Palestinian rights.
Settler terrorism has intensified across the occupied West Bank, where Palestinians face repeated assaults, theft, property destruction and attacks on agricultural communities.
The violence has escalated ahead of Israel's Oct. 27 elections, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu seeking another mandate alongside far-right allies who support expanding illegal Israeli settlements.
More than 500,000 Israeli settlers live in illegal settlements across the occupied West Bank, alongside approximately 3 million Palestinians.
Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory are illegal under international law.
Since October 2023, at least 1,125 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank, most by Israeli forces, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian Health Ministry figures.
United Nations figures indicate that illegal Israeli settlers have killed at least 23 Palestinians during the same period.
Meanwhile, Israel's genocidal attacks in the Gaza Strip have killed at least 74,459 Palestinians since October 2023, according to Gaza health authorities, whose casualty figures are generally considered reliable by the United Nations.