UN rights chief urges Israel to protect Palestinians in West Bank
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Amman: Since the Israeli-Hamas conflict broke out last month, Palestinians in the occupied West Bank have been the subject of increased violence, according to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, who stated on Friday that Israel had to act quickly to safeguard them.
Since the beginning of October, at least 176 Palestinians—43 children and one woman among them—have died in events involving Israeli security personnel, according to Volker Turk. Israeli settlers have killed at least eight Palestinians.
About 200 Palestinians had already died in the Israeli-occupied West Bank this year, making it the worst on record before the Hamas-Israel conflict began in Gaza on October 7, Reuters reported.
“I ...appeal as a matter of urgency for Israeli authorities to take immediate measures, to take steps to ensure the protection of Palestinians in the West Bank, who are being on a daily basis subjected to violence from Israeli forces and settlers, ill-treatment, arrests, evictions, intimidation and humiliation,” Turk told reporters in Jordan’s capital Amman.
In addition to Israel's northern border, where fighting with Hezbollah forces in Lebanon has occurred, worries about the Palestinian territories becoming a third front in a larger conflict have been heightened by the increasing violence in the West Bank.
“It is Israel’s duty to ensure that all incidents of violence are promptly and effectively investigated and that victims are provided with effective remedies,” Turk said.
“Continued widespread impunity for such violations is unacceptable, dangerous, and it is in clear violation of Israel’s obligation under international human rights law.”
Israel has declared that it will destroy Hamas and that it has been carrying out counterterrorism operations in the West Bank against Hamas and other armed Palestinian factions.
Israeli forces have killed hundreds of Palestinians in the West Bank during the previous 18 months, including stone-throwing youngsters, militants, and innocent civilians. They have also made thousands of arrests in the same area. Dozens of Israelis have died as a result of Palestinian attacks throughout the same time period.