US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee has called for the perpetrators of an attack on a Palestinian church in the occupied West Bank to be prosecuted, calling it "an act of terror".
Mr Huckabee said he had visited the Christian town of Taybeh, where clerics said Israeli settlers started a fire near a cemetery and the fifth-century Church of St George on July 8.
"It is an act of terror and it is a crime," Mr Huckabee said. "Those who carry out acts of terror and violence in Taybeh – or anywhere – [should] be found and be prosecuted. Not just reprimanded, that’s not enough."
Israel's government has not commented on the incident but has previously denounced such acts. Mr Huckabee said he had asked Israel to "aggressively investigate" the killing of a Palestinian-American beaten by settlers in the West Bank, describing it also as a "criminal and terrorist act".
The ambassador is a staunch supporter of Israeli settlements, considered illegal under international law, and his comments are a rare and pointed public intervention by the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Mr Trump in January rescinded sanctions imposed by the former Biden administration on Israeli settler groups and individuals accused of being involved in violence against Palestinians in the West Bank.
Settler violence against Palestinians and Palestinian attacks on Israelis in the occupied territory have risen since the start of Israel's war in Gaza in October 2023, though hostility has long simmered there.
The UN's highest court said last year that Israel's settlements in territories it captured in the 1967 Middle East war, including the West Bank, are illegal. Israel disputes this, citing biblical and historical ties to the land, as well as security needs.
Four motivational quotes from Alicia's Dubai talk
“The only thing we need is to know that we have faith. Faith and hope in our own dreams. The belief that, when we keep going we’re going to find our way. That’s all we got.”
“Sometimes we try so hard to keep things inside. We try so hard to pretend it’s not really bothering us. In some ways, that hurts us more. You don’t realise how dishonest you are with yourself sometimes, but I realised that if I spoke it, I could let it go.”
“One good thing is to know you’re not the only one going through it. You’re not the only one trying to find your way, trying to find yourself, trying to find amazing energy, trying to find a light. Show all of yourself. Show every nuance. All of your magic. All of your colours. Be true to that. You can be unafraid.”
“It’s time to stop holding back. It’s time to do it on your terms. It’s time to shine in the most unbelievable way. It’s time to let go of negativity and find your tribe, find those people that lift you up, because everybody else is just in your way.”
UJDA CHAMAN
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Key facilities
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
What is tokenisation?
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Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
