UN: Settler Attacks in West Bank Surpass 1,000 Cases This Year

The number of settler attacks causing casualties or property damage in the West Bank has surpassed 1,000 this year, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported on Thursday. The rate of settler attacks is currently averaging six per day, higher than any previously recorded year.

OCHA stated that the violence has affected more than 230 communities across the West Bank. “More than 2,200 Palestinians have been displaced this year due to settler violence and various access restrictions, in addition to hundreds of others displaced by home demolitions carried out by Israeli authorities,” OCHA said. Last week alone, settler attacks injured more than 30 Palestinians and caused extensive damage to property, critical infrastructure, and livelihoods.

OCHA noted that its partners continue to support communities in need, particularly in Area C, East Jerusalem, and other areas where the Palestinian Authority is not permitted to provide services directly. The World Food Programme (WFP) reported that over 300,000 people across the West Bank received food and cash assistance in May.

Health partners are helping to provide essential services through a network of 870 service points, including 230 locations reached by mobile clinics. However, OCHA warned that some health facilities in the West Bank have been forced to reduce operating days and hours due to operational capacity shortages, lack of medicines, medical supplies, and consumables, as well as access restrictions imposed by authorities.

In Gaza, the Palestine Red Crescent Society reported that one of two ambulance crew members detained on Wednesday has been released, while the fate of the other remains unknown. OCHA added that its mine action partners in Gaza conducted 50 explosive hazard assessments during the first week of June, supporting rubble clearance and other humanitarian efforts, while also raising awareness among children and adults about the risks associated with explosive ordnance and how to avoid them.

Nutrition partners reported screening over 77,000 children aged 6 to 59 months in May, with more than 4 per cent identified as acutely malnourished and referred for treatment. Of the more than 53,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women screened during the same period, just over 3 per cent were referred for care.