UN Report Regrets Human Rights Decline In West Bank, Israel's Urges To Fight Violence Against Palestinians

Israeli military in the West Bank. (Wikimedia Commons/IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

JAKARTA - A United Nations report published on Thursday lamented what it said was a "fast decline" in human rights (HAM) in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, urging the Israeli government to end violence against Palestinians there.

A report published by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said 300 Palestinians had been killed in the West Bank since October 7, when the Hamas militant group carried out a deadly attack in southern Israel and held hundreds hostage in Gaza.

Most of the killings occurred during the operation of Israeli security forces or confrontations with them.

At least 105 deaths could be linked to Israeli operations involving airstrikes or other military tactics in refugee camps or other densely populated areas. At least eight people were killed by Jewish settlers, the report said.

Talmen, spokesman for Israel's Prime Minister's Office, rejected the report and called it "very ridiculous".

"This really underestimates the great security threat to Israelis emerging from Judea and Samaria," he said, referring to the West Bank with Hebrew names in the Bible.

"Yes, we have arrested hundreds of terrorist suspects in the area and we will continue to do whatever it takes to keep our security."

Meanwhile, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said the use of unnecessary or disproportionate forces against Palestinians in the West Bank was "very disturbing".

"I call on Israel to immediately take clear and effective steps to end the settlers' violence against Palestinians, to investigate all incidents of violence perpetrated by settlers and Israel Defense Forces, to ensure effective protection against the Palestinian community," Turk said.

OHCHR said it also recorded mass arbitrary detentions, unlawful detentions, and reported cases of torture as well as other forms of ill-treatment against Palestinian prisoners. It said around 4,785 Palestinians had been detained in the West Bank since October 7.

"Some of them were stripped, covered in tears and held for hours with handcuffs and legs tied, while Israeli soldiers stepped on their heads and backs, sputtered, slammed to the wall, threatened, humiliated, and in some cases subjected to sexual harassment and gender-based violence," explained OHCHR.

Separately, the Israeli military said they were operating against militant suspects in the West Bank and an investigation had been launched into cases of possible mistreatment of prisoners.

The West Bank experienced the highest level of unrest in decades for 18 months, before the attack on Israel on October 7 by the Hamas militant group. However, confrontations rose sharply as Israel launched a ground invasion of Gaza.