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Rabat – The UN has urged Israel to end its aggression and unlawful killings and settler violence targeting civilians in the occupied West Bank.
Citing a UN report on Thursday, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) detailed the rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in the region, including East Jerusalem since Israel launched its disastrous war on Palestinians on October 7.
The report calls on Israel to “end unlawful killings and settler violence,” as well as an “immediate end to the use of military weapons during operations, said the OHCHR, adding that the report notably urged the end of arbitrary detention and ill-treatment of Palestinians.
OHCHR also confirmed the death of over 300 Palestinians, including dozens of children in the occupied West Bank in the midst of Israel’s devastating war on Palestinians.
“Of these, Israeli Security Forces killed at least 291 Palestinians, settlers killed eight and one Palestinian was killed either by Israeli Security Forces or settlers,” OHCHR said.
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The statement also quoted UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, who condemned the devastating situation.
“The use of military tactics means and weapons in law enforcement contexts, the use of unnecessary or disproportionate force, and the enforcement of broad, arbitrary and discriminatory movement restrictions that affect Palestinians are extremely troubling,” Turk said.
He noted that the report documents a repeated pattern of violations against civilians, but acknowledged that the acts perpetrated against Palestinians since October 7 “have not been seen in years.”
In this regard, Turk recalled his appeal to Israel to take “immediate, clear, and effective steps” to end settler violence against Palestinians.
The report highlighted the increased airstrikes as well as use of bulldozers and heavy weapons against Palestinians in the West Bank, highlighting the arbitrary arrests of Palestinian civilians, including children and journalists.
It documented several instances of Israel carrying out incursions by armored personnel carriers against refugee camps and densely populated areas in the region.
“Israeli Security Forces have arrested more than 4,700 Palestinians, including 40 journalists, in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” the OHCHR said.
The report further stressed the mistreatment and systematic humiliation of Palestinian prisoners.
“Some were stripped naked, blindfolded and restrained for long hours with handcuffs and with their legs tied, while Israeli soldiers stepped on their heads and backs, were spat at, slammed against walls, threatened, insulted, humiliated and in some cases subjected to sexual and gender-based violence, the report describes,” OHCHR said, citing descriptions highlighted by the UN report.
