OMM Redaksiyası
Violence, restrictions on movement and accelerating Israeli settlement expansion are making living conditions increasingly “intolerable” for Palestinian civilians in the occupied West Bank, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Tuesday.
Dozens of Palestinians have been killed, hundreds injured and many others displaced this year, while homes and property have been damaged or destroyed, leaving families without shelter or livelihoods, according to the ICRC.
“The frequent and severe violence must be brought to an end,” said Julien Lerisson, head of the ICRC delegation for Israel and the Palestinian occupied territories.
Restrictions affecting healthcare and daily life
Lerisson said the Israeli authorities had a responsibility to protect the population from violence, including violence carried out by settlers, and to respect international humanitarian law concerning private and public property and access to essential services.
The ICRC described the humanitarian impact of the violence, including deaths and serious injuries, as “overwhelming”. It said movement restrictions were preventing patients from reaching healthcare facilities, children from attending school and people from accessing their homes and livelihoods.
Ambulances are sometimes held for hours at checkpoints and roadblocks or forced to take longer routes to avoid closed roads and violence, making it more difficult for first responders to reach people in need, the organization said.
ICRC calls for protection of civilians
The ICRC said Israel had the right to take measures to ensure its security but, as the occupying power in the West Bank, also had responsibilities towards Palestinians, who are protected persons under international humanitarian law.
Under the law, the occupying power must treat protected persons humanely, protect them from acts or threats of violence, and make every effort to restore and maintain public order and civil life, the ICRC said.
“Upholding international humanitarian law and respecting obligations under the law of occupation are necessary steps towards restoring the safety and dignity of the population,” Lerisson said. “This means protecting civilians from violence and ceasing the expansion of civilian settlements.”
Violence has intensified since October 2023
The statement was issued amid an escalation in violence by Israeli settlers and forces in the occupied West Bank, along with tighter restrictions on Palestinian movement and continued settlement expansion.
The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission said Israeli settlers had carried out 628 attacks against Palestinians and their property across the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, in August.
In June, 14 UN special rapporteurs warned that the sharp increase in what they called “settler terror”, with state support and complicity, posed an existential threat to Palestinian communities in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Since Israel began its military operation in Gaza in October 2023, Israeli forces and settlers have intensified attacks across the West Bank, according to Palestinian figures. Those figures say 1,206 Palestinians have been killed, around 13,350 injured and more than 24,600 detained.
