"UNRWA": The Rise of Settler Violence in the West Bank Reaches the Highest Level in Over a Decade

SadaNews - The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) reported that settler violence in the West Bank has recently escalated to its highest level in over a decade.

UNRWA stated in a statement today, Sunday, that last month was the most violent month in 12-13 years since the regular documentation of these violations began.

According to its official website, most of the attacks were concentrated during the olive picking season, as Palestinian farmers faced attacks and were denied access to their lands, threatening their livelihoods amidst increasing armed assaults and the deliberate burning of property.

The agency also noted in a report recently published the continued forced displacement of Palestinians from their lands, especially in the northern West Bank (Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams camps), alongside the expansion of settlement activities and the destruction and evacuation of homes, which has led to the displacement of hundreds of Palestinian families.

The attacks included stone throwing, gunfire, burning of vehicles and property, and the eviction of Palestinians from their agricultural lands.

These violations have occurred amid a lack of effective measures by the occupation authorities to curb them, prompting UNRWA to warn that this escalation paves the way for further Israeli annexation of Palestinian lands.