Canada, along with 14 other countries, issued a statement expressing concern about the current violence in the West Bank and called on the Israeli government to do more to end the violence committed by "extremist settlers" against the Palestinian population.

"We strongly condemn the acts of violence committed by extremist settlers, who terrorize Palestinian communities. Israel, as the occupying power, must protect the Palestinian civilian population in the West Bank." — a quote from part of the statement by Canada and 14 countries against the violence committed by Israeli settlers.

The United Nations also said that violence in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories in the West Bank has increased at an unprecedented rate since the attack by Hamas militants on October 7, to which Israel responded with devastating and indiscriminate bombing of the Gaza Strip, resulting in the deaths of more than 19,000 Palestinian civilians, including about 7,000 children.

Armed settler groups living in Israeli settlements, which are considered illegal under international law, have attacked Palestinians hundreds of times and forced more than 1,200 of them to leave their homes.

The statement also alleges that Israeli settlers have committed 343 violent attacks since early October, resulting in the deaths of eight Palestinian civilians.

Canada joined the European Union and 13 other countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia, and France, in issuing a statement on December 15 urging Israel to bring those responsible for such attacks against the Palestinian population to justice.

The statement also noted that Israel pledged last month to take action against the perpetrators of these acts of violence, but regrets the lack of proactive measures to fulfill this promise.

The Canadian Ministry of Foreign Affairs published the statement on its website on Friday but did not broadcast it on social media as it usually does with other joint statements with like-minded countries.

The Israeli embassy in Ottawa was not immediately available for comment on December 18, but earlier stated that Israel is doing everything it can to respond to violence in the West Bank.