The residents of Mughayir al-Dayr were recently forced to abandon their homes and belongings as a result of escalating settler violence and the prevailing impunity climate, according to diplomatic missions in several countries in a joint statement.
"Israeli settlers have established an outpost just meters from the community, which constitutes a clear violation of international law," they write.
Mughayir al-Dayr was one of the last remaining Palestinian communities in the area. When Israel, in contravention of the Geneva Convention, has expanded its illegal settlements, Palestinians have been pushed away from areas where they have lived for decades.
In the statement, the signatories urge Israel to respect its commitments under international law and remove the settler outpost established near Mughayir al-Dayr.
The village is not an isolated case, they emphasize. The forced relocations are part of an "alarming trend" which, according to the statement, undermines the chances of a just and sustainable peace in the region.
"Seven nearby communities have already been relocated as part of a broader and deeply disturbing pattern of violent settler attacks and lack of protection from the Israeli authorities."
Behind the statement stand diplomatic missions belonging to Belgium, France, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands, as well as the EU's representation for the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
