UN denounces Israel offensive in West Bank amid violence and mass displacement News
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UN denounces Israel offensive in West Bank amid violence and mass displacement

The United Nations Human Rights Office (OHCHR) on Friday condemned Israel’s continuing offensive operation in the West Bank, urging Israel to immediately halt the “alarming wave of violence and mass displacement.”

The OHCHR noted a resumption of unlawful killings of Palestinian civilians beginning on January 21, 2025. The office stated that Israeli security forces have killed at least 44 civilians since that date, most of whom were unarmed and did not pose any immediate threat. The casualties included a pregnant woman, who had been searching for safety after Israeli security forces shot and injured her husband, and a 10-year-old boy who was shot in the chest in Tulkarem City. The OHCHR stated that it is documenting the expanded “unlawful use of force” in the region, where they say “there are no active hostilities.”

The OHCHR also emphasized a spike in the already significant level of displacement caused by the offensive. The office stated:

The UN Human Rights Office received daily reports from displaced residents describing a pattern where they are led out of their homes by Israeli security forces and drones under the threat of violence. They are then forced out of their towns with snipers positioned on rooftops around them and houses in their neighbourhoods used as posts by Israeli security forces.

The statement iterated that “any forcible transfer in or deportation of people from occupied territory is strictly prohibited and amounts to a crime under international law” and emphasized that “[d]isplaced Palestinians must be allowed to return to their homes.” The office added:

Israel must comply with its other obligations under international law, which include ending its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible and evacuating all West Bank settlements immediately. In the meantime, as the occupying power, Israel must ensure the protection of Palestinians, the provision of basic services and needs, and the respect of Palestinians’ full range of human rights.

On January 15, Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire deal 15 months after hostilities escalated between the two sides. The conflict escalated on October 7, 2023, when Hamas led an assault on Israel that resulted in approximately 1200 people being killed and 250 taken hostage. Israel then launched one of the most intensive bombing campaigns in modern history, resulting in tens of thousands of Palestinian casualties, widespread destruction of Gaza’s infrastructure, and the displacement of nearly all of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.

The OHCHR emphasized that on-ground reporting demonstrated Israel is continuing its offensive operations in the region despite the ceasefire deal. The Israeli offensive comes amid public announcements by senior US and Israeli officials to resettle Gaza after driving out Palestinians from the region.

 

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