DaysofPal- A United Nations fact-finding committee on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israeli occupation has stated that attacks carried out by Israeli settler groups against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank are part of an organized policy aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians from their land.
In its report on assaults by armed settlers, the committee explained that these actions facilitate illegal settlement expansion and contribute to the imposition of unlawful annexation, often carried out with the support and protection of Israeli forces.
The report noted that Israeli forces provide cover, weapons, and protection to settlers during the commission of serious violations against Palestinian civilians.
It outlined a range of abuses, including the killing of civilians, the burning of homes and agricultural land, and the destruction of property, describing these acts as clear violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
The committee urged all UN member states to fulfill their legal responsibilities by adhering to the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, including ending all forms of engagement with illegal settlements.
It also called for effective measures, such as sanctions, to ensure that such unlawful activities are not supported.
The report stressed the illegality of the continued occupation of Palestinian territory and called for the complete evacuation of settlements, accountability for violations, and the protection of the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination.
In his remarks, the Permanent Representative of Palestine to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Ibrahim Khraishi, condemned the Israeli systematic attempts to undermine the work of UN mechanisms and international organizations seeking to uphold justice and international law.
He reviewed ongoing violations committed by Israeli occupation forces and settlers since 1948 and 1967, including the destruction of cities, the burning of land, and the demolition of protected civilian infrastructure, noting that such practices continue to this day.
He added that nearly 80 percent of the West Bank is now under Israeli control, with continued settlement expansion and violence aimed at annexation and the forced displacement of civilians.
Khraishi also pointed to the decision by Israeli occupation to arm thousands of settlers and provide them with protection during attacks on Palestinian towns and villages, warning of the dangers of such policies and stressing the need for accountability.
He called on the international community to intensify efforts to halt dealings with settlements, work toward their dismantling, support a two-state solution, and ensure the protection of Palestinian refugees’ rights in accordance with international law.
Approximately 750,000 Israeli settlers currently live in the West Bank, spread across 141 settlements and 224 outposts, including around 250,000 in 15 settlements in occupied East Jerusalem.
Escalating settler violence includes arson attacks on homes and facilities, destruction of agricultural land, and preventing farmers from accessing their property as part of efforts to forcibly displace residents.
According to data from the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, Israeli forces carried out 1,108 attacks against Palestinians and their property during May alone, while settlers were responsible for 551 attacks during the same period across various areas of the West Bank.
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