DaysofPal- The United Nations warned on Wednesday that escalating attacks by illegal Israeli settlers, along with home demolitions, are forcing hundreds of Palestinians from their homes across the occupied West Bank.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), at least 818 Palestinians were displaced this month alone.
OCHA said 688 people were driven out of eight Palestinian communities due to settler violence, making up more than 40 percent of all settler-related displacement recorded so far in 2025.
An additional 130 Palestinians were left homeless after Israeli demolitions, pushing the total number of displaced residents to 818.
The agency highlighted the case of Ras Ein al-Auja, a Bedouin community near Jericho, where the remaining 100 residents were forced to flee following repeated attacks and threats by settlers. OCHA said the community has now been completely emptied.
Settlers have also damaged or blocked access to grazing lands, prevented herders from reaching a nearby water spring, and carried out livestock theft and property destruction, further eroding Palestinian livelihoods.
Meanwhile, Israeli forces have been demolishing dozens of Palestinian-owned structures in the Kafr Aqab area of East Jerusalem since Tuesday, OCHA reported.
The UN agency noted that 2025 has seen the highest number of demolitions in East Jerusalem in nearly 20 years, adding that assessments are underway and humanitarian partners are working to provide urgent assistance to displaced families.
More than 500,000 Israeli settlers currently live in settlements and outposts across the West Bank, while another 250,000 reside in settlements built on land in occupied East Jerusalem, according to Peace Now.
Settler attacks have intensified since the start of Israel’s military assault on Gaza in October 2023.
Palestinian sources say Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 1,109 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, injured nearly 11,000 others, and detained around 21,000 people since that time.
In July 2024, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory is illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=71729
