Human Lives Human Rights: The United Nations human rights office, in a report published on Friday, asserts that the establishment and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem constitute a war crime.
Covering the period from November 1, 2022, to October 31, 2023, the report highlights a significant increase in the advancement of roughly 24,300 housing units within existing settlements in the West Bank. This marks the highest number recorded in a year since monitoring commenced in 2017. The report also condemns a surge in the construction of new settlement homes in recent months.
Volker Türk, the U.N. human rights chief, presented the findings to the Human Rights Council on Friday, expressing deep concern over the situation. He emphasized that the West Bank is already in a state of crisis, and the escalation of settler violence and settlement-related violations exacerbates the plight, jeopardizing the prospect of establishing a viable Palestinian state.
Recent revelations of Israel’s intention to build nearly 3,500 settler homes in three areas were strongly rebuked by Türk, who stated that such actions blatantly contravene international law.
Türk emphasized that the establishment and expansion of settlements entail the transfer of Israeli population into occupied territories, constituting a war crime according to international law, as outlined by his office.
In response, Israel’s diplomatic mission in Geneva, which often accuses Türk’s office of disregarding violence perpetrated by Palestinian extremists against Israelis, criticized the report for overlooking instances of attacks by “Palestinian terrorism” last year, which resulted in the deaths of 36 Israelis and injuries to nearly 300 others.
The international community largely regards the settlements as illegal under international law. However, the increased settlement activity and violence in the West Bank have been overshadowed by the recent bloodshed and displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, where Israeli forces launched a vigorous military campaign against Hamas following deadly attacks on October 7.
