UN Reports Surge in Settler violence against Palestinians in West BankGeneva, 15 Jul (ONA) — The UN Human Rights Office has raised the alarm over a
sharp rise in attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinians in the
occupied West Bank and East Al Quds (Jerusalem).
According to the office in Geneva, 96 Palestinians were injured in
June alone – the highest monthly figure in over two decades. Hundreds
of homes were also destroyed.
Since the beginning of this year (2025), the UN has documented 757 settler
attacks that resulted in Palestinian casualties or property damage –
a 13% increase compared to the same period in 2024, a spokesman said
today.
These actions, the spokesman added, are contributing to the ongoing
consolidation of Israel’s annexation of parts of the West Bank, a
practice deemed illegal under international law. The forced
displacement of civilians in occupied territories may constitute a
crime against humanity, the office warned.
Israeli security forces have used force against unarmed individuals
in the West Bank, the UN office said.
The spokesman cited the case of a 2-year-old Palestinian child who
was shot in the head and killed in January by Israeli settlers, and a 61-year-old man who
was fatally shot while riding a bicycle in July.
Since 7 October 2023, Israeli occupation forces and armed extremist settlers have killed 964 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank,
according to UN figures. Nearly 3,000 homes have been demolished,
often on the grounds that they lacked building permits, even though
such permits are nearly impossible for Palestinians to obtain, the
spokesman said.
— Ends/Khalid