Escalating attacks by extremist Israeli settlers on the last remaining Christian town in the West Bank have prompted an emergency appeal by local Church leaders for immediate international intervention to protect their land, homes, and sacred sites.

In a statement, the priests of the Greek Orthodox, Latin, and Melkite Greek churches “strongly condemn the ongoing and grave series of attacks targeting Taybeh”.

“These assaults threaten the security and stability of our town and aim at undermining the dignity of its residents and the sanctity of its sacred land”.

On Monday, extremist settlers set a fire near the town’s cemetery and the historic Church of Saint George (Al-Khadr), dating back to the 5th century.

They also set cattle loose on agricultural lands, damaging olive tree crops and preventing farmers from accessing their land.

The priests say that the area has “effectively become an open target for illegal settlement outposts that expand quietly under military protection”.

The ancient Christian community is now “at serious risk of erosion and displacement due to the systematic targeting of land, sacred places, and the local community”.

The priests called upon the international community to investigate the incidents and apply pressure on authorities to halt settler actions.