Four European nations Thursday urged Israel to stop what they called increasing “settler violence against Palestinian civilians” in the occupied West Bank.

“We - France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom - strongly condemn the massive increase of settler violence against Palestinian civilians and call for stability in the West Bank,” they said.

“These attacks must stop,” they added, saying they risked undermining plans to end the Gaza war and prospects for long-term peace.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.

Violence in the West Bank has soared since Palestinian militant group Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war.

It has not ceased despite the fragile truce between Israel and Hamas coming into effect last month.

Israeli troops or settlers have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in the West Bank - many of them militants, but also scores of civilians - since the start of the Gaza war, according to an AFP tally based on Palestinian health ministry figures.

At least 44 Israelis, including both soldiers and civilians, have been killed in Palestinian attacks or Israeli military operations, according to official Israeli figures.

Israel’s military on Wednesday launched a new operation against Palestinian armed groups in the occupied West Bank. A local governor told AFP that Israeli forces had raided several towns.