More than 500 Palestinians killed in occupied West Bank: UN rights chief

More than 500 Palestinians killed in occupied West Bank: UN rights chief

Two of the latest fatalities were 16-year-old Ahmed Ashraf Hamidat and 17-year-old Mohammed Musa Al Bitar, both shot “at a distance of about 70 metres while running away after throwing stones and/or Molotov cocktails towards a[n Israeli] military post outside a settlement near Aqabat Jaber, CCTV footage shows”, said the High Commissioner’s Office, OHCHR. The…

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Rafah exodus reaches 360,000 as UN underscores $2.8 billion aid appeal for Gaza, West Bank

Rafah exodus reaches 360,000 as UN underscores $2.8 billion aid appeal for Gaza, West Bank

“Nearly 360,000 people have fled Rafah since the first evacuation order a week ago,” the UN agency said in a post on X, referencing leafleting by the Israeli military ordering those in eastern Rafah to leave their shelters.  In another alert, UNRWA warned of ongoing “restricted humanitarian access” to and across the Gaza Strip that was…

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World News in Brief: Rising West Bank violence, dialogue critical in Kosovo, free Afghan activist

World News in Brief: Rising West Bank violence, dialogue critical in Kosovo, free Afghan activist

Stability in the West Bank is vital to the prospects of peace in Gaza, UN Special Coordinator Tor Wennesland said over the weekend, warning against further escalation. He also said civilian attacks, including settler violence, need to end. Meanwhile, the new Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Muhannad Hadi, visited Gaza for the first…

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UN representative on sexual violence in conflict to visit Israel and West Bank

UN representative on sexual violence in conflict to visit Israel and West Bank

Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, will also visit the occupied West Bank, where she will meet with the Palestinian Authority, civil society organizations, recently released detainees and other relevant actors. The visit is set to start on Monday and will conclude in early February.  Giving voice to…

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UN rights chief warns of ‘dehumanization’ of Palestinians amid West Bank violence as Gaza crisis deepens

UN rights chief warns of ‘dehumanization’ of Palestinians amid West Bank violence as Gaza crisis deepens

Commenting on a new report on the West Bank released by his office, OHCHR, Mr. Türk expressed concern at the use of military means and weapons by law enforcement, movement restrictions affecting Palestinians and a sharp rise in settler violence resulting in the displacement of herding communities. “The dehumanization of Palestinians that characterizes many of the…

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Rise in intimidation, settler violence in the West Bank, warns OCHA

Rise in intimidation, settler violence in the West Bank, warns OCHA

Israeli settler violence has increased significantly, from an already high average of three incidents per day in 2023 to seven a day now, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OHCA). During this period, OCHA recorded 171 settler attacks against Palestinians, resulting in 26 different casualty incidents, damage to 115 Palestinian…

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World News in Brief: West Bank violence, UN humanitarian visits Hroza, Advisory Group on local governments

World News in Brief: West Bank violence, UN humanitarian visits Hroza, Advisory Group on local governments

“I condemn today’s attack by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property in the town of Huwwara in occupied West Bank,” UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, said in a statement.   Huwara is located on the main road connecting the northern city of Nablus to Ramallah and Jerusalem and…

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