Commission for Human Rights: Settler violence and the annexation of Palestinian lands in the West Bank are getting worse

Commission spokeswoman, Ravina Shamdasani, reported that eight Palestinians, including a boy, in addition to two Israeli soldiers have been killed in the occupied West Bank since last Thursday.

She added that settlers and Israeli security forces, often working together, attacked local communities, assaulted families, destroyed and confiscated property, and burned mosques.

She added that movement restrictions have now become more stringent, preventing Palestinians from accessing basic services.

She expressed concern about the Israeli government’s announcement of an increase in the number of settlements and outposts, and open calls by Israeli leaders for revenge and collective punishment against Palestinian communities, accompanied by threats to turn the West Bank into another Gaza.

She said that with attacks by Israeli settlers and the establishment of settlements and outposts reaching their highest levels ever, third countries must act urgently and united to stop the ongoing killing of the Palestinian people and the dispossession of their property, and end the Israeli occupation.

Risks to public health in Gaza

Regarding the situation in the Gaza Strip, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that civilians face significant risks to public health, which increases insecurity and displacement.

Widespread rodent and ectoparasite infestations were reported in 83% of displacement sites assessed earlier this month, along with street sewage, stagnant water and poor sanitation conditions, the office said.

He added that humanitarian partners are expanding the scope of rodent control this week, with the United Nations Development Program and other partners distributing nine metric tons of rodenticide daily, thanks to supplies brought by the United Arab Emirates to Gaza.

To reduce risks to public health, OCHA emphasized the urgent need for continued access to vital equipment and supplies such as spare parts and motor oils.

He noted that it is also important that partners managing solid waste in Gaza are allowed access to landfills in areas where access is restricted by Israeli forces.

The challenge of access to water

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned that access to water remains a daily challenge for families, adding that the United Nations and its partners are doing their best to support hundreds of thousands of children and their families in obtaining basic water, sanitation and hygiene services.

In Khan Yunis, UNICEF is supporting the construction of a central water well that is expected to benefit approximately 7,000 people.

In Gaza City, UNICEF is participating in clean-up efforts at the Sheikh Ajlin wastewater treatment plant, which served about 700,000 people before it was damaged during the hostilities.

On the education front, the United Nations and partners estimated this week that about 430,000 kindergarten and school-age children – about 56% of the estimated student population – are enrolled in more than 600 temporary educational places across Gaza. In some of these educational spaces, programs are being implemented to help children catch up before the new school year.

OCHA warned that nearly half of school-age children still lack adequate learning opportunities.