UN Condemns Escalation of Attacks on Palestinians in Gaza and West Bank

JAKARTA - United Nations (UN) experts have condemned the sharp escalation of attacks on Palestinian civilians across the occupied Palestinian territories during July, noting the worsening of the already dire human rights situation.

"Although the ceasefire officially took effect since October 2025, Israeli forces have killed about 160 Palestinians in Gaza in July alone, bringing the total number of deaths in the devastated enclave since the start of the ceasefire to more than 1,200," the experts said, quoted by WAFA (11/8).

"This figure includes women, children, the elderly, and other residents who have taken refuge in tents and areas that were previously directed as safe places for them," said the experts.

"Most of the killings took place in densely populated refugee areas such as Al-Mawasi, far from what is called the 'yellow line'. There is not a single place in Gaza that is safe," they said.

Experts report with concern, all settlement blocks received evacuation orders shortly before the fighter planes destroyed them, exacerbating an already dire housing crisis.

"The continuous westward shift of the yellow line, the construction of a 23-kilometer barrier along the line, and the systematic destruction of residential buildings are changing the geographical landscape of the illegally occupied Gaza through the use of violence and forced displacement," the experts said.

They also condemned attacks on hospitals and shelters, the killing of police officers and UN-contracted staff, attacks on fishermen, as well as kidnappings and persecution by armed groups reported to be working with the Israeli military.

In addition, they condemned the killing of humanitarian workers who, through their efforts to protect and advance fundamental human rights, are in fact human rights defenders.

"This genocide continues unabated," the experts said.

They warned that food aid still could not enter Gaza freely, while products entering through commercial channels were mostly high-level (*ultra-processed*) processed foods that were inadequate in terms of both nutrition and cultural appropriateness.

"Due to the inaccessibility of agricultural land and clean water and the obstruction of the supply of agricultural facilities, Palestinians are unable to meet their own food needs," the experts said, adding that the heaviest burden is borne by children, the elderly, and people with disabilities.

They also warned that food insecurity fuels increased gender-based violence and child marriage, and jeopardizes women's safety as they struggle to find daily food.

In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, experts strongly condemned the killing of at least 14 Palestinians in July - most of which occurred in the last 10 days of the month - as well as deaths due to movement restrictions, including the death of a four-month-old baby and a miscarriage suffered by a pregnant woman after their ambulance was blocked at a military gate. "When checkpoints and gates block access and threaten the lives of babies, pregnant women, and their fetuses, movement restrictions turn into a deadly instrument," they said.

Experts are particularly alarmed by the surge in terror attacks by settlers, which culminated on July 24 in Tell, southwest of Nablus; at the time, four Palestinian men from one family were shot dead in clashes involving armed settlers and soldiers.

In the following days, around 80 Tell residents were detained, and more than 20 mass attacks (pogroms) were recorded across the West Bank in just one weekend, including the burning of mosques, houses, and rural farmland, the destruction of water infrastructure, and the forced expulsion of entire communities.

"Terror by settlers is not a spontaneous act; these actions operate under the protection - and often with the direct participation - of the Israeli occupation forces, along with the record of settlement expansion, mass demolition of buildings, land confiscation, and prolonged closure of refugee camps - all supported and encouraged by members of the Israeli cabinet," they said.

Experts recall that in an Advisory Opinion dated July 19, 2024, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared the continued existence of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories as an illegal act, and called for the situation to be terminated as soon as possible.

The court also stated that Israel's settlement policy violates international law. "Instead of being forced to comply with the rules, Israel is allowed to accelerate policies that the Court has declared illegal," they said.

"Countries that help or support Israel - whether politically, militarily, or financially - in maintaining this illegal situation are also violating international law. This hurts the joints of the multilateral legal order, especially in the midst of genocide and openly declared ethnic cleansing campaigns," they said.

Experts called for immediate compliance with the ICJ Advisory Opinion and the provisional measures order, which includes cessation of attacks on civilians, respect for the ceasefire, unhindered humanitarian access, enforcement of accountability, as well as concrete steps by third countries to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law and human rights law.