United Nations: The displacement of Palestinians amounts to a war crime

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that the permanent displacement of Palestinians within the occupied Palestinian territories amounts to a war crime, emphasizing that the Israeli government's claim of sovereignty over the West Bank and the annexation of parts of it constitutes a clear violation of international law.

The office clarified in a statement that the demolition of homes, confiscation of property, and ongoing assaults by settlers and Israeli forces against Palestinians fall within a systematic pattern of violations.

For his part, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk called for an end to the attacks against Palestinians and their property and for holding those responsible accountable, stressing the necessity of enabling Palestinians to exercise their right to self-determination.

He stated that Israel must end its illegal presence in the occupied territories, halt all settlement activities, and evacuate the settlers.

According to the latest UN data, more than 1,500 Palestinians have been displaced in the West Bank since the beginning of 2025 due to demolition operations under the pretext of lacking permits.

The report added that 30 Palestinians, including 4 children, were injured in a single week due to assaults by Israeli settlers, while satellite images showed the destruction or damage of approximately 1,460 buildings in the Jenin, Nur Shams, and Tulkarm camps.

The office also noted that settlers burned a house in the village of Khirbat Abu Falah near Ramallah, resulting in the displacement of a family of 6 members.

Between November 4 and 10 of this month, Israeli forces killed 4 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 3 children, raising the number of children killed by Israel since the beginning of the year to 45.

These developments come amid the escalation of daily attacks carried out by settlers under the protection of the Israeli army, and the continued incursions into Palestinian cities and towns in the occupied West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, since the onset of the Israeli genocide in Gaza on October 7, 2023.

The assaults in the West Bank have resulted in the martyrdom of 1,071 Palestinians and the injury of about 10,000 others, in addition to the arrest of more than 20,000 citizens, including 1,600 children, according to Palestinian medical sources.