jordan pulse -

​US Ambassador to Tel Aviv Mike Huckabee visited on Saturday the town of Turmus Ayya, northeast of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, and met with Palestinians, including families of US citizens who fell victim to attacks carried out by Israeli settlers, amidst escalating settler violence in the West Bank.
​Huckabee said during the visit that the US message is clear that "a crime is a crime, and terrorism is terrorism," adding that whoever commits such acts should expect "dire consequences," during his meeting with Palestinian-Americans who reported being subjected to attacks by settlers.
​Turmus Ayya has been repeatedly subjected to attacks by Israeli settlers, while several settlements are spread around the town.
​Mayor of Turmus Ayya, Nawaf Zaghloul, said that residents face continuous attacks, and that they will ask the US Ambassador for assistance in providing security and protection for them.
​Zaghloul explained that about 80% of Turmus Ayya's population of nearly 3,000 hold US citizenship alongside their Palestinian nationality.
​A resident of the town, Samir Hazmeh, said prior to the meeting that residents hope the ambassador will take steps regarding what he described as "outlaw settlers."
​Huckabee's visit comes at a time when the West Bank is witnessing an escalation in settler attacks.
​Turmus Ayya witnessed a wide-scale settler attack in June 2023 during which homes and vehicles were burned, while US State Department reports documented Israeli forces standing by during major settler attacks in the town and other areas in the West Bank.
​The United Nations and most countries of the world consider Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law, while the Israeli government rejects this stance and says the territories are "disputed."
​Source: Rum News Agency