UN Rights Chief Calls for End to West Bank Violence
The UN rights chief, Volker Turk, on Tuesday called for an end to the violence in the occupied West Bank, describing it as “unfathomable” that over 500 Palestinians had been killed since October 7.
In a statement criticized by Israel, Turk reported that at least 505 Palestinians had been killed in the West Bank by the Israeli military, other security forces, and settlers since the Gaza conflict began nearly eight months ago. Palestinian officials have reported a death toll of at least 523.
During the same period, Turk noted that two dozen Israelis, including eight soldiers, had been killed in clashes or alleged attacks by Palestinians from the West Bank.
“The tragic events in Israel and Gaza over the past eight months are compounded by the daily unprecedented bloodshed in the West Bank,” Turk said. “It is unfathomable that so many lives have been taken in such a wanton fashion.”
Israel’s Response
Israel quickly denounced Turk’s statement, referencing Hamas’s October 7 attack, which resulted in 1,194 deaths, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on Israeli official figures. Militants also took 251 hostages, 120 of whom remain in Gaza, including 41 the army says are dead.
Israel’s retaliatory actions have resulted in 36,550 deaths in Gaza, also mostly civilians, according to the Hamas-run territory’s health ministry.
Since October 7, “terrorist activity has drastically increased in the West Bank,” Israel’s diplomatic mission in Geneva stated, alleging that Palestinians had carried out “more than 500 terrorist attacks” over the past eight months. “This is the reality that the high commissioner chooses to ignore and dismiss,” it said, asserting that “Israel will not allow the West Bank to be turned into another terrorist stronghold.”
Israel vowed to continue combating “Palestinian terrorism… in line with international law.”
Call for Accountability
Turk emphasized that the violence had “instilled fear and insecurity among Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.” He insisted that the “killing, destruction, and widespread human rights violations are unacceptable and must cease immediately,” urging Israel to enforce rules of engagement that align with human rights standards.
Turk condemned the “pervasive impunity” in the West Bank, which Israel has occupied since 1967, and noted a surge in violence even before October 7. He highlighted a recent incident where Israeli forces shot and killed a teenager and critically injured another near Jericho. Security camera footage suggested the boys were shot while fleeing after throwing stones and/or Molotov cocktails towards a military post.
Turk’s statement lamented that Israeli security forces have often used lethal force “as a first resort against Palestinian protesters… in cases where those shot clearly did not represent an imminent threat to life.”
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