UN concerned over escalating West Bank violence, Israeli raids in Tulkarm

HAMILTON, Canada

The UN on Friday voiced concern over Israel's illegal settlement expansion and the latest spate of mass detentions in the occupied West Bank, as well as the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.

"First of all, we believe that there will be two states. We continue to believe it. It will demand hard work. It'll demand sacrifice. Most of all, it will demand political courage," UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at a press conference in response to a question about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent decision to ratify plans for the E1 settlement project.

"We've been very clear on our stand against Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank that are maintained and established against international law," he said, stressing that illegal Israeli settlements "further entrench the occupation. They fuel tension. They systematically erode the viability of a Palestinian state."

He called on Israel to "cease all settlement activities pursuant to its obligations under international law."

On the latest detaining of more than 1,000 Palestinians in the northern West Bank city of Tulkarm by Israeli forces as part of its sweeping operation, Dujarric said: "We're aware of the increased activity by the IDF (Israeli military), and we're concerned at the treatment of the Palestinian civilians in that area."

Tulkarm has become a flashpoint in the army's months-long campaign across the northern West Bank, where near-daily raids have escalated since the start of the Gaza war.

Regarding the situation in Gaza, he noted that heavy Israeli strikes "continue across Gaza City, hitting buildings, houses, and tents," displacing nearly 11,000 people in 24 hours.

He added that UN teams are delivering fuel to hospitals, water facilities, and waste management services while supporting children who are injured, orphaned, or separated from their caregivers.

Since the start of Israel's genocidal war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, at least 1,020 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces and illegal settlers, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal. It demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.