DaysofPal — The United Nations human rights office in the occupied Palestinian territories has warned that violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank is intensifying, citing a lack of legal or security deterrence and widespread impunity.
In an official statement released Tuesday, the office said repeated attacks by settlers are worsening humanitarian and security conditions for Palestinians across multiple governorates. The agency noted that the assaults are occurring “in a climate of total impunity,” with few meaningful efforts to investigate or prosecute those responsible.
The statement documented the killing of Palestinian man Nasrallah Abu Siyam near the town of Mikhmas, northeast of Jerusalem, allegedly by a group of settlers.
According to the U.N. office, Israeli occupation had not taken concrete steps to detain suspects or conduct a serious investigation, reinforcing concerns about accountability.
The report also highlighted a wave of forced displacement affecting 42 Palestinian families since Feb. 17, attributed to settler intimidation.
Displacements were concentrated in several areas, including the Jordan Valley region, the village of Ein Siniya, and the al-Khalayel areas near the villages of al-Mughayyir and Rammun in the Ramallah governorate.
In the southern West Bank, local sources reported that an Israeli settler severely assaulted a Palestinian woman, Widad Makhamra, after entering Khirbet al-Markaz in the Masafer Yatta area south of Hebron.
The assailant reportedly searched homes and livestock enclosures, causing panic among residents, particularly women and children.
Communities in Masafer Yatta have long reported repeated attacks, including home raids and the grazing of settlers’ livestock on privately owned Palestinian farmland, damaging crops and livelihoods.
Residents in affected areas have appealed to the international community for immediate protection, warning that continued attacks aim to force Palestinians from their land to make way for settlement expansion.
Separately, Israeli forces continued a large-scale military operation in the town of Ya’bad, north of the West Bank, entering the area for a second consecutive day.
The incursions involved house searches, property damage, and the establishment of military checkpoints that have disrupted daily life during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Ya’bad Mayor Amjad Atatra said the campaign appears designed to expand settler influence in the surrounding area and restrict farmers’ access to agricultural lands under security pretexts. He added that settlers had established a new outpost nearby several months earlier, which has since served as a base for attacks on farms and property.
Human rights sources also reported that Israeli forces have arrested more than 100 Palestinians across the West Bank since the start of Ramadan.
Overall, Palestinian officials estimate that more than 9,300 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, including 66 women and about 350 children, many under harsh conditions.
Since the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip, violence in the West Bank has surged. Palestinian data indicate that at least 1,117 Palestinians have been killed and roughly 11,500 injured, while total arrests in the West Bank and Jerusalem have reached about 22,000.
Observers warn that the combination of settler violence and sustained military operations could pave the way for formal annexation of the territory.
In its concluding remarks, the U.N. human rights office called for an end to Israeli occupation, a halt to settlement activities deemed illegal under international law, and international protection for Palestinian civilians facing displacement and daily violence.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=72506
