UN Reports Surge in Settler violence against Palestinians in West Bank

Geneva, 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