The situation in the West Bank has become alarming and urgent the United Nations said Friday citing in particular an escalation of violence by Jewish settlers towards Palestinians.
From October 7 to Thursday November 2 140 Palestinians including 41 children had been killed in the West Bank the UN Human Rights Office said.
Much of the world’s attention has been focused on the Gaza Strip since the Israeli war on the Strip began on October 7.
But “the situation in the occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem is alarming and urgent amid the increasing and multi-layered human rights violations of Palestinians occurring there” spokeswoman for the UN Human Rights Office Elizabeth Throssell told reporters in Geneva.
She said Israeli forces were increasingly using military tactics and weapons in law enforcement operations including an operation involving air strikes on the Jenin refugee camp.
“Settler violence which was already at record levels has also escalated dramatically averaging seven attacks a day. In more than a third of these attacks firearms were used” Throssell said.
She said in many cases settlers were accompanied by Israeli soldiers.
“Along with the near total impunity for settler violence we are concerned that armed settlers have been acting with the acquiescence and collaboration of Israeli forces and authorities” she elaborated.
She said Israel as the occupying power had to ensure the safety and protection of the occupied population.
“Entire communities are being forced from their land by this violence” Throssell said adding that nearly 1000 Palestinians from at least 15 herding communities had been forced from their homes since October 7.
Throssell said despite hundreds of settlers being involved in daily violence since October 7 Israeli forces had reportedly arrested only two settlers for assaulting Palestinians and killing one Palestinian farmer.
Israeli forces have arrested almost 2000 Palestinians in the same period she added noting that two have died in custody.
With many roads and checkpoints closed some of the most vulnerable Palestinian communities have been left without access to essential goods and services said Throssell.
