The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, made a statement on Friday, condemning the recent expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The High Commissioner also verbally opposed the escalating trend of settler violence against Palestinians in the region, an issue that has worsened over the past year. The West Bank, already in a crisis, faces an increased risk of losing any realistic prospects for the establishment of a viable Palestinian State due to these ongoing violations, according to Türk.
Türk referred to his February report in the UN Human Rights Council, where he highlighted a substantial hike in Israeli settlements in the West Bank between November 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023. The report revealed that roughly 24,300 new housing units were constructed in existing Israeli settlements, marking the highest increase recorded by the UN since 2017. In addition, the report shed light on an increased pattern of violence against Palestinians, citing displacement of 1,222 Palestinians from 19 herding communities, nine Palestinians killed in gun violence incidents involving settlers and 396 Palestinians killed by Israeli security forces.
In response to Israel’s actions towards the Palestinians, Türk urged:
Israel’s actions against the Palestinian population must cease immediately. The only way forward is to find a viable political solution that finally ends the occupation, establishes an independent Palestinian state and guarantees the realization of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people.
However, Israel’s Diplomatic Mission to Geneva condemned the UN report and Türk’s statements, arguing that the document neglected the deaths of 36 Israelis and the 296 injured due to Palestinian terrorism in 2023. The published reaction stated: “Human rights are universal, yet Israeli victims of Palestinian terrorism are ignored by the Office time and time again.”
This diplomatic tension follows Israel’s recent approval of a significant increase in building permits in the West Bank – a decision condemned by the US, one of Israel’s closest international allies. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed the administration’s firm opposition to settlement expansion, characterizing it as counterproductive to achieving everlasting peace and inconsistent with international law.
Other instances of condemnation by the UN include a report released in February 2022 by the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. This document stated there were reasonable reasons to infer that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory had become unlawful under international law due to its permanence and Israel’s de facto annexation policies. It was also suggested by UN human rights investigators that the continued settlements and their expansion may constitute a war crime.
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