AMMAN — The Palestinian presidency has called for an urgent UN Security Council session and immediate international measures to protect Palestinians, warning that escalating settler attacks and Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank threaten lives, property and stability.

 

The presidency on Friday said attacks on Palestinian cities, villages and refugee camps, alongside killings, destruction and forced displacement, required urgent international intervention. Presidential spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh called on the Security Council to fulfil its legal and political responsibilities by providing international protection and adopting measures to halt further violations.

 

Abu Rudeineh said 19 settler attacks had been recorded since Friday morning, targeting farmers, olive harvesters and their property. The incidents included burning trees and vehicles, uprooting dozens of olive trees, stealing livestock and crops, assaulting Palestinians and preventing them from reaching their land.

 

He warned that the attacks threatened Palestinian livelihoods, particularly during the olive harvest season. He also cited continued military incursions into West Bank towns, villages and refugee camps, raids on homes, property destruction, live fire and land seizures. He accused Israeli forces of protecting settlers, allowing attacks to continue and expand.

 

According to a letter seen by Reuters, Palestinian Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh informed France that the political, security and economic conditions required for the vote had not materialised. The letter recommended adjusting the election date by several months, proposing the first half of September 2027 as a new timeframe. The recommendation does not in itself establish that a formal postponement has been announced.

 

The European Union had expressed readiness to deploy election observers. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said Palestinians had the right to choose their representatives through credible, inclusive and transparent elections, describing the vote as an opportunity to renew the legitimacy of Palestinian institutions after nearly two decades without parliamentary elections.

 

Palestinian factions, including Fatah and Hamas, have agreed to pursue national dialogue. Fatah Central Committee Secretary-General Jibril Rajoub said discussions with Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine would seek common ground on political issues and a fully sovereign Palestinian state on the territories occupied in 1967.

 

A source who attended the talks told AFP that the factions had agreed to recommend postponing the vote to allow more time for dialogue and consensus.

 

Political analyst Amer Sabaileh said another postponement would further undermine the legitimacy of Palestinian institutions, particularly after nearly two decades without parliamentary elections. He also warned that the political situation could become more difficult as Israel intensifies pressure on the Palestinian Authority.

 

The developments leave Palestinian leaders facing parallel challenges: securing protection for Palestinians amid escalating attacks in the occupied West Bank and addressing questions over political representation and the legitimacy of their institutions.