Israeli forces and illegal settlers have committed serious human rights violations in the West Bank since October 7, resulting in at least 300 deaths (79 of them children) and illegal arrests and abuse of prisoners, a United Nations report has found.
The document from the UN Human Rights Office demands that Israel “stop the use of military weapons in law enforcement operations in the West Bank, arbitrary detentions and mistreatment of Palestinians, by lifting discriminatory restrictions on movement.”
Of the 300 deaths according to the report, 291 died at the hands of Israeli security forces, and the rest were killed by settlers, although there is one case in which the authorship is in doubt.
In this sense, the document reports that the settlers are sometimes accompanied by Israeli security forces, or wear so-called uniforms of that body themselves.
The report indicates that in the first weeks after the October 7 terrorist attacks, up to six daily incidents involving settlers were recorded, including shootings, arson of homes and vehicles, and destruction of trees and crops.
“The UN agency documented multiple cases of settlers attacking Palestinians while they were harvesting their olives, driving them off their land, stealing their crops and poisoning or destroying the olive trees,” the report said.
He also denounces that Israeli forces have detained more than 4,700 Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including 40 journalists, and subjected them to ill-treatment on many occasions.
“Some were forced to undress, they were blindfolded and held for hours in handcuffs with their legs tied while Israeli soldiers stepped on their heads or backs,” he said.
“They were spat at, pushed against walls, threatened, insulted, humiliated and in some cases were victims of sexual and gender violence,” the report said.
“The abuses documented in this report reflect the patterns and nature of other past abuses in the context of Israel’s long occupation of the West Bank, but the intensity of current violence and repression has not been seen in years,” said the senior. UN Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk.
“I call on Israel to take immediate, clear and effective measures to end settler violence against the Palestinian population, to investigate incidents by settlers and Israeli forces, and to ensure the protection of Palestinian communities against any form of forced displacement,” he added. .
The Austrian High Commissioner also urged Israel to grant his office access to the country, assuring that he was ready to prepare similar reports on Hamas’ terrorist attacks on Israeli civilians on October 7, which prompted the current conflict.
Source: El heraldo
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
