Russian Foreign Ministry condemns the inaction of Israeli troops during an attack by settlers on a Russian diplomatic vehicle.
Moscow has formally complained to Israel regarding an incident on July 30 where a Russian diplomatic vehicle was attacked by Israeli settlers near an unauthorized settlement in the occupied West Bank.
The Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, stated that this attack is considered a serious breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and expressed deep concern over the failure of Israeli military personnel to intervene.
The diplomatic vehicle, which belonged to Russia’s representation to the Palestinian Authority and was visibly marked with diplomatic plates, suffered mechanical damage when it was attacked by a group of settlers near the settlement of Giv’at Asaf, situated east of Ramallah and approximately 20km (12 miles) north of Jerusalem.
“The vehicle sustained mechanical damage. The attackers threatened the Russian diplomats verbally,” Zakharova reported, emphasizing that present Israeli soldiers did not attempt to stop the assault.
Media in Russia have reported that the vehicle was attacked while carrying members of Russia’s diplomatic mission to the Palestinian Authority, who are also accredited by Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
A letter of protest has been sent to the Israeli authorities by the Russian Embassy in Tel Aviv, according to Zakharova.
Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s first deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, raised the matter at a UN Security Council meeting focused on Israeli captives in Gaza on Tuesday.
Polyansky said that the attack on Russia’s vehicle in the occupied West Bank occurs against a backdrop where “Israeli authorities have adopted a policy of eviction and colonization of Palestinian territory.”
“It is ordinary Palestinians and even foreigners who every day become victims of relentless raids by security forces and settler violence,” said Russia’s representative at the UN, highlighting the broader context of violence in the region.
The attack on the official Russian diplomatic vehicle was carried out “under the indifferent gaze of the Israeli military,” he added.
“It is clear that a systematic policy of expelling Palestinians—whether from the Gaza Strip or the West Bank—poses new risks and dangers for Middle Eastern stability and security, and could once again bring the region to the edge of a major conflict,” Polyansky warned.
The surge in violent attacks by Israeli settlers and soldiers in the occupied West Bank has been significant since October 2023, according to the UN. It reports that nearly 650 Palestinians—including 121 children—have lost their lives to Israeli forces and settler violence between January 1, 2024, and the start of July 2025.
Additionally, 5,269 Palestinians, among them 1,029 children, have been injured during this period. Settler attacks have directly resulted in more than 2,200 casualties and damage to property, as per UN findings.
The Russian Foreign Ministry’s spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, stated that this attack is considered a serious breach of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 and expressed deep concern over the failure of Israeli military personnel to intervene.
The diplomatic vehicle, which belonged to Russia’s representation to the Palestinian Authority and was visibly marked with diplomatic plates, suffered mechanical damage when it was attacked by a group of settlers near the settlement of Giv’at Asaf, situated east of Ramallah and approximately 20km (12 miles) north of Jerusalem.
“The vehicle sustained mechanical damage. The attackers threatened the Russian diplomats verbally,” Zakharova reported, emphasizing that present Israeli soldiers did not attempt to stop the assault.
Media in Russia have reported that the vehicle was attacked while carrying members of Russia’s diplomatic mission to the Palestinian Authority, who are also accredited by Israel’s Foreign Ministry.
A letter of protest has been sent to the Israeli authorities by the Russian Embassy in Tel Aviv, according to Zakharova.
Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s first deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, raised the matter at a UN Security Council meeting focused on Israeli captives in Gaza on Tuesday.
Polyansky said that the attack on Russia’s vehicle in the occupied West Bank occurs against a backdrop where “Israeli authorities have adopted a policy of eviction and colonization of Palestinian territory.”
“It is ordinary Palestinians and even foreigners who every day become victims of relentless raids by security forces and settler violence,” said Russia’s representative at the UN, highlighting the broader context of violence in the region.
The attack on the official Russian diplomatic vehicle was carried out “under the indifferent gaze of the Israeli military,” he added.
“It is clear that a systematic policy of expelling Palestinians—whether from the Gaza Strip or the West Bank—poses new risks and dangers for Middle Eastern stability and security, and could once again bring the region to the edge of a major conflict,” Polyansky warned.
The surge in violent attacks by Israeli settlers and soldiers in the occupied West Bank has been significant since October 2023, according to the UN. It reports that nearly 650 Palestinians—including 121 children—have lost their lives to Israeli forces and settler violence between January 1, 2024, and the start of July 2025.
Additionally, 5,269 Palestinians, among them 1,029 children, have been injured during this period. Settler attacks have directly resulted in more than 2,200 casualties and damage to property, as per UN findings.
