The United Nations on Friday issued a stark warning over the
deteriorating situation in the occupied West Bank, citing an
escalation of violence that has resulted in growing civilian
casualties, forced displacement and deepening insecurity among
Palestinians.
U.N. spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters that
humanitarian agencies were alarmed by the persistent rise in
violence, noting “casualties, property destruction, displacement,
loss of livelihoods and a profound sense of insecurity for
Palestinian civilians.”
According to the U.N., the number of Palestinian children killed
in 2025 reached 50 this week.
“In total, more than 200 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli
forces since the beginning of the year,” Dujarric added.
Israeli military operations in the West Bank have intensified
since the outbreak of the Gaza war in October 2023. Since then,
over 1,076 Palestinians have been killed and more than 10,700
injured in attacks by Israeli forces and armed settlers in the
occupied territory. Arrests have also surged, with more than 20,500
Palestinians detained during this period.
In a significant legal development last July, the International
Court of Justice ruled that Israel’s occupation of the West Bank
and East Jerusalem is unlawful and called for the removal of all
Israeli settlements from these areas.