Attacks on Palestinians intensifying in occupied West Bank: UN rights body

The UN bureau reports 757 settler attacks connected Palestinians since January, up 13 percent from 2024, arsenic deaths since January adjacent 1,000.

Israeli settlers and information forces person intensified their killings, attacks and harassment of Palestinians successful caller weeks successful the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the United Nations quality rights bureau warns.

The unit besides includes the demolitions of hundreds of homes and forced wide displacement of Palestinians arsenic good arsenic annexations of much onshore successful usurpation of planetary law, Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), told reporters successful Geneva connected Tuesday.

The UN body’s informing came arsenic the Palestinian decease toll successful the West Bank inches person to 1,000 since October 7, 2023, erstwhile Hamas attacked Israel and Israeli forces launched their genocidal campaign successful Gaza, wherever much than 58,000 Palestinians person been killed.

At slightest 964 Palestinians person been killed by Israeli forces and settlers successful the West Bank since that day, according to the UN. At slightest 2,907 location demolitions were besides carried retired by Israel during the aforesaid period.

The UN issued its informing connected Tuesday connected the heels of the sidesplitting of 20-year-old United States citizen Sayfollah Mussallet, who was beaten to decease by Israeli settlers successful Sinjil town, northeast of Ramallah, connected Friday.

“Israel indispensable instantly halt these killings, harassment and location demolitions crossed the occupied Palestinian territory,” Al-Kheetan said successful a abstracted connection published connected the OHCHR website.

“As the occupying power, Israel indispensable instrumentality each feasible measures to guarantee nationalist bid and information successful the West Bank.”

Since January, determination person been 757 settler attacks connected Palestinians oregon their properties, which is simply a 13 percent summation implicit the aforesaid play past year, the OHCHR said.

In January, Israel besides launched a large subject cognition called “Iron Wall”, forcibly displacing 30,000 Palestinians successful the West Bank, the bureau added.

The OHCHR besides accused Israeli forces of firing “live ammunition astatine unarmed Palestinians”, including those trying to spell backmost to their homes successful the exile camps of Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams.

The strength of violence by settlers and Israeli forces has truthful alarmed Palestinians that many, including residents successful the Old City of Hebron, person been forced to crook their homes into cages, putting up barbed ligament connected their windows to support themselves.

Hebron nonmigratory Areej Jabari told Al Jazeera that contempt the protective wire, her household inactive feels unsafe.

“Barbed ligament can’t support from each the ligament that settlers propulsion astatine america and from bullets and teardrop state often fired by Israeli forces,” she said.

Parts of Hebron, wherever astir 35,000 Palestinians and 700 Israeli settlers live, are nether Israeli subject control.

Jabari said that erstwhile she tried to papers 1 of the attacks, Israeli forces broke into her residence, broke the solid windows, and seized her camera and its representation card.

Relatives mourn during the ceremonial of 61-year-old Walid Badir, who was killed by Israeli soldiers adjacent Nur Shams exile campy successful the West Bank [File: Alaa Badarneh/EPA]

The OHCHR said Israeli forces person often utilized unnecessary oregon disproportionate force, including lethal force, against Palestinians “who did not airs an imminent menace to life”.

The youngest of the victims has been two-year-old Laila al-Khatib, who was changeable successful the caput by Israeli forces successful January portion she was wrong her location successful Ash-Shuhada colony successful Jenin governorate.

On July 3, 61-year-old Walid Badir was changeable and killed by Israeli forces, reportedly portion helium was cycling location from prayers and passing done the outskirts of the Nur Shams camp.

In June, the UN said it recorded the highest monthly wounded toll of Palestinians successful much than 2 decades with 96 Palestinians injured successful Israeli settler attacks.

Al-Kheetan said Israel is obligated arsenic an occupying unit to support Palestinians from settler attacks. He called for an “independent and transparent” probe into the killings.

“Those liable indispensable beryllium held to account,” Al-Kheetan said.

On Monday, apical religion leaders and diplomats from much than 20 countries besides called connected Israeli settlers to beryllium held accountable during a sojourn to the predominantly Christian municipality of Taybeh aft caller attacks successful the West Bank village.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies