The United Nations Calls The Deaths Of Palestinians And Israelis Highest This Year Since 2005 As Violence In The West Bank Rises

JAKARTA - The deaths of Palestinians and Israelis so far this year have surpassed last year's tally since 2005, said UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland.

More than 200 Palestinians and nearly 30 Israelis were killed in the West Bank and occupied Israel this year, Wennesland told the UN Security Council at a briefing.

"Palestinians and Israelis died in violence almost every day - including just hours before this briefing, when another fatal shooting attack killed an Israeli citizen in the West Bank," he said.

Wennesland further said the violence was "triggered and exacerbated by a growing sense of despair over the future".

On Tuesday, Israeli forces killed a 17-year-old boy while looking for a suspect in a fatal shooting of an Israeli father and son on Saturday last week in Huwara City, Palestine.

On Monday, an Israeli settlers were shot dead and another injured in Hebron.

Regarding the increase in violence and casualties on both sides, Wennesland calls the current political climate an escalation cause.

"The lack of progress towards a political horizon that discusses core issues that drive conflict, has left a dangerous and easily changing void, filled with extremists on both sides," he explained.

Wennesland said the conflictal parties had taken "several measures" to improve the situation on the ground, but " unilateral steps, including settlement development and destruction" continued as was the violence of Palestinian settlers and militant activities.

The Israeli advocacy group Peace Now said this month that the construction of illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank had reached record levels, with nearly 13,000 new housing units approved so far this year.

It added that Israel also continues to practice collective, illegal forms of punishment under international law, by destroying the homes of people suspected of carrying out attacks, even after they were killed.