J Street is horrified by a terror attack today near the settlement of Ariel in the occupied West Bank, in which three Israelis were killed and three more were wounded. Our thoughts are with the families and loved ones of the victims as we hope for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Acts of terror and violence are never acceptable, and only lead to more pain, suffering and loss for both Israelis and Palestinians. We remain extremely concerned by the terrible escalation in violence throughout the West Bank in recent months, which has evidenced a dangerous deterioration of an unsustainable status quo. We saw further evidence of that deterioration on Monday when a 15-year-old Palestinian girl in a civilian vehicle was killed by IDF gunfire outside of Ramallah.
While working to prevent further attacks and keep civilians safe, urgent steps must be taken by all responsible leaders to reduce tensions and prevent further violence and suffering. A new path, away from the abyss of endless conflict and occupation, must be pursued.