UN human rights office warns of worsening settler violence in West Bank as attacks keep increasing

Jerusalem Post/Israel News/Defense NewsThe UN human rights office warned that settler violence and settlement expansion in the West Bank have intensified, urging international action.Follow us on GoogleIsraeli soldiers inspect the damage following an attack by Israeli settlers in the village of Sarra, near the West Bank city of Nablus, July 24, 2026.(photo credit: STR)ByREUTERSJULY 29, 2026 16:27The UN human rights office on Wednesday warned of worsening violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank and urged international action against the killing of Palestinians as well as the creation of settlements, which it said had reached an all-time high.According to United Nations figures, 18 Palestinians have been killed in incidents linked to settler attacks so far this year, compared with 17 in the whole of 2025. Maj. Yuval Ezra, 27, an Artillery Corps battery commander, and Sgt.-Maj. (res.) Benyahu Mellet, 32, a member of Gilad Farm’s local security team, were killed Friday during a confrontation near the Palestinian village of Tal, southwest of Nablus.According to the IDF, the incident began after a group of Israeli civilians entered Palestinian Authority-controlled territory and clashed with local residents, during which a Palestinian seized a rifle and opened fire. Palestinian officials said four Palestinians were killed in the broader confrontation, although the circumstances of their deaths remain under investigation.Ravina Shamdasani, the spokesperson for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said, “settlers and Israeli security forces, often acting together, have attacked local communities, assaulting families, destroying and confiscating property, and burning mosques.”Israeli soldiers at the entrance to the West Bank village of Turmus Aya. June 21, 2023. (credit: YONATAN SINDEL/FLASH90)The UN human rights office said settler violence and actions tantamount to ongoing annexation of Palestinian territory in the West Bank had worsened in the two years since a ruling at the International Court of Justice in July 2024 that Israel's “occupation” in the West Bank was illegal and should be withdrawn. Israel at the time rejected the finding as “fundamentally wrong” and one-sided.Violence in West Bank on the riseViolence in the West Bank has surged since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, with the UN, rights groups and Palestinian officials reporting a sharp rise in settler attacks.Earlier in July, the security cabinet approved NIS 1.3b. to establish 34 new settlements. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who advocates for the full annexation of the West Bank, called the move "historic." UN bodies, Palestinians and most countries view the settlements as illegal under international conventions - a stance disputed by Israel.Israel cites biblical and historical ties to the land, which it argues is disputed territory, where Jews have lived for thousands of years.About 700,000 settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and east Jerusalem.Sarah Ben-Nun contributed to this report. Follow us on Google