Attachments
UN Human Rights Office in Occupied Palestinian Territory
Ramallah
6 December 2024
This statement was revised from a version originally published earlier on Friday, 6 December 2024.
Violence continues to intensify in the occupied West Bank
Israel must immediately end its intensification of violence in the West Bank, evacuate all settlements from occupied territory, and ensure meaningful accountability for all violations of the rights of Palestinians.
Recent incidents in the occupied West Bank are again raising concern about growing state and settler violence against Palestinians in violation of international law.
Apparent extrajudicial killings and unlawful use of force:
On Tuesday, 3 December, an Israeli airstrike hit a car and killed two Palestinian men, aged 30 and 38, and injured a third 23-year-old man in Aqaba, Tubas. Israeli security forces then broke into the Turkish Hospital in Tubas and assaulted medical personnel in search of the injured man and the dead bodies of the two airstrike victims. Israeli security forces then raided the Arab Specialist Hospital disguised as medical personnel and wheeled away the 23-year-old injured airstrike victim from the Intensive Care Unit. Israel later claimed the operation was conducted against terrorist operatives.
The incident featured a distressing number of violations of international law including the apparent extrajudicial killing of two people which cannot be justified by claims that they were involved in so-called terrorist activity. Violations also include the now-routine use of unnecessary and disproportionate force, including military tactics and weapons, in the occupied West Bank where there are no active hostilities, in violation of international human rights law’s strict limitations on the use of force for law enforcement purposes.
Settler violence:
On Wednesday, at dawn, an attack by a mob of settlers on Palestinian communities in Nablus led to the burning of two cars and one store. Settlers also set fire to a home with a family of seven inside, including a 9-year-old girl. The family survived, but when they attempted to put the fire out, settlers brutally attacked with crowbars and clubs one member of the family, 70-year-old Tayser Odeh, seriously injuring him. During the attack, Israeli security forces stationed at the entrance of one of the affected villages prevented firefighters from gaining access to control the fire.
This episode of violence came during a riot by settlers to protest the Israeli security forces’ demolition of Giv’at Joseph settler outpost in Nablus— a rare occurrence. In another rare occurrence, Israeli security forces arrested eight settlers for rioting. However, they were all released without charges on order of an Israeli court in line with a well-establish pattern of impunity and political support for settler violence.
Settler violence and impunity persist despite the International Court of Justice’s finding in July that Israel’s policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territory impede Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
The Court also found that the occupation has resulted in the annexation of large parts of the West Bank, as well as imposing a regime of discriminatory laws and policies against Palestinians. As a result, the Court said Israel must end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible, including immediately halting any expansion of settlements and removing all settlers.
Instead, at least 49 new settler outposts along with 9 new settlements have been established between 1 November 2023 and 31 October 2024, including in East Jerusalem. And statements by Israeli officials raise serious concerns about Israel’s possible plans for completing the annexation of parts of the West Bank.
Accountability is key:
Putting an end to Israel’s unlawful practices and taking meaningful steps to ensure accountability is not only a legal obligation for Israel but something that must be pursued by the entire international community. Accountability for systematic abuses of the rights of Palestinians must be ensured, both comprehensively for systematic oppression, and individually, for every single victim — whether killed, displaced, arbitrarily detained, or subjected to discrimination. This is essential to ensure victims can receive effective remedies and to enable Palestinians to meaningfully exercise their right to self-determination.
ENDS
For more information and media requests, please contact:
Mayy El Sheikh – mayy.elsheikh@un.org
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