GENEVA, Jan 27 (Kuna) -- A Group of UN experts on Monday warned of Israeli occupation's "dangerous" military aggression against the occupied West Bank saying "the heightened assault on the occupied West Bank is part of an overall process of Palestinian forced displacement and replacement and the territorial expansion of Israel", adding "This is not an isolated action." In a press release from Geneva the experts said, "we are dismayed by the escalation of deadly violence sweeping through Jenin and the rest of the occupied West Bank" adding "Israel's repression seems to have no end in sight." They highlighted that the violence in the occupied West Bank coincides with unprecedented levels of increased colonies' expansion armed settler violence displacement depopulation and land confiscation by the Occupying entity including through settler militias.
These violations continue even after the ICJ concluded that this occupation is unlawful and Israeli occupation must dismantle it together with the colonies and its associated regime.
They stated, "the new attacks come in the wake of a US decision to lift limited sanctions on Israeli settlers, and by Israeli authorities to remove administrative detention and other sanctions for Israeli settler violence effectively offering a greenlight for more unchecked violence against the Palestinian people".
The experts were gravely concerned about comments by the Israeli defense Minister that sought to justify the new onslaught as a response against the so-called "Palestinian terrorism." The Minister invoked the concept of "the iron" wall coined by Jabotinsky a founder of Zionism to argue for a crushing unyielding defense.
They stated that these acts of aggression are not new for Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Since 7 October 2023 systematic aerial and ground attacks on Jenin Nablus Tulkaram and Tubas governorates, particularly targeting refugee camps have become a defining feature of Israel's assaults on the region.
At the end of August 2024, the Israeli military launched a large-scale operation in these areas killing at least 39 Palestinians including women and children and injuring dozens.
The experts noted that the latest attacks have resulted in the detention of civilians from the occupied West Bank especially in Jenin the killing of at least 16 people including a child shot in the head-and the displacement of over 3.000 families.
These violations persist despite the International Court of Justice's ruling that this occupation is illegal and that Israel must dismantle it along with the settlements and the system associated with them.
They warned that the long-standing impunity granted to Israel enables the systematic erasure of Palestine, leaving Palestinians vulnerable to forces pursuing their elimination as a group.
"The lack of intervention by States to protect Palestinians in line with international law is alarming and carries catastrophic consequences," the experts said, urging the international community to urgently step in to halt Israel's aggression.
"Like other indigenous peoples before them the Palestinian people seem to have been abandoned to their fate. We cannot let it happen this would be the greatest failure of the human rights system," they stated.
This statement was issued by group of Un experts and Special Rapporteur including the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied Francesca Albanese Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of opinion and expression Irene Khan Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls its causes and consequences Reem Al-Salem. (end) imk.mb