UN: Israeli Settler Violence, Annexation "Only Getting Worse"

(MENAFN) The UN human rights office has sounded the alarm over escalating violence by Israeli occupiers and forces in the occupied West Bank, warning it is unfolding alongside an intensifying Israeli push toward annexation.

Thameen Al-Kheetan, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, told media in Geneva that Israel, as the occupying power, bears responsibility for protecting Palestinians and investigating attacks carried out against them.

"The violence by Israeli settlers and forces and widening annexation of the occupied Palestinian West Bank are only getting worse," Al-Kheetan said. "These attacks must stop."

His remarks arrive amid growing alarm over occupier violence and the continued expansion of Israeli settlements across the territory. The UN has repeatedly cautioned that settlement growth and related policies threaten to further cement Israeli control over Palestinian land.

Accountability and International Pressure
Al-Kheetan said Israeli authorities are obligated to ensure accountability for such attacks, including through formal investigations and measures aimed at delivering justice and reparations to victims.

"Our office continues documenting and reporting on the human rights violations, raising early warnings, and calling for UN member states to act," Al-Kheetan said.

He called on governments worldwide to take firmer action to compel Israel to meet its international obligations. "The international community must take action, using all means possible," he said, to safeguard "the Palestinian people's right to self-determination."

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