United Nations: Settler attacks displace nearly 700 Palestinians in West Bank during January

The United Nations announced on Thursday that attacks and harassment by occupation settlers in the occupied West Bank led to the displacement of nearly 700 Palestinians during January, the highest rate recorded since the outbreak of the war more than two years ago. According to figures issued by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and based on data collected by several UN agencies, at least 694 Palestinians were forcibly displaced from their homes last month.

The UN Human Rights Office reported that in late January, settler violence became a major factor in forced displacement. Displacements saw a significant increase due to the complete emptying of the Ras Ein al-Auja community in the Jordan Valley, as 130 families left their homes after months of continuous harassment.

Farhan al-Jahalin, a resident of the displaced community, stated: 'What is happening today is a complete collapse in the community due to continuous settler attacks day and night.' These developments come amid escalating field pressures on Bedouin and agricultural communities in the Jordan Valley and West Bank areas.

According to a 2025 report by the 'Peace Now' organization, grazing is used as a means to impose presence on agricultural lands and deprive Palestinians of them, with the support of the occupation government and army. Allegra Pacheco, director of the West Bank Protection Consortium, said: 'No one is putting pressure on the occupation authorities to stop this, so settlers feel complete impunity,' adding that the focus on Gaza has allowed the continuation of 'ongoing ethnic cleansing' in the West Bank.

It is worth noting that the West Bank is home to more than half a million settlers in settlements considered illegal under international law. Since the outbreak of the war in October 2023, at least 1035 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by occupation forces or settlers, according to figures from the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

What is happening today is a complete collapse in the community due to continuous settler attacks day and night.