Geneva, June 2 (SANA) Fourteen UN experts warned on Monday that escalating Israeli settler violence in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, poses an “existential risk” to Palestinian communities and is driving forced displacement.
In a statement, the experts stated that settler attacks, which they said was supported or tolerated by the Israeli state, have become a “daily terror” that is forcing Palestinians from their land and facilitating what they called “ethnic cleansing.”
The experts reported that at least 13 Palestinians were killed and nearly 500 injured in settler attacks during the first five months of 2025, exceeding figures recorded during the same period in previous years.
They said no part of the occupied West Bank has been spared, with communities in Area C, which remains under full Israeli control, among the hardest hit, particularly in the Jordan Valley and the South Hebron Hills. Continued displacement could expose about 663 square kilometers of land to further settlement expansion, they warned.
The experts cited Umm al-Kheir in the South Hebron Hills as an example, saying the community has faced repeated violence, service disruptions, demolitions and attacks since construction began at a nearby settlement outpost in July 2025. They added that a human rights defender was killed during protests in July, allegedly by an armed settler.
According to the statement, residents have also faced detentions, destruction of infrastructure and farmland, and threats of demolition. Other communities, including Khan al-Ahmar and Abu Falah, were identified as being at risk of forced displacement.
The experts called on Israel to halt support for settlements and outposts, ensure accountability for settler attacks, protect Palestinian communities, and guarantee the return of displaced residents with access to their land. They said Israel remains bound by its obligations under international humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions.
The statement comes amid continued warnings by Palestinian and international human rights organizations about rising settler violence in the occupied West Bank and its impact on Palestinian communities.
The experts are independent mandate holders appointed by the UN Human Rights Council and do not speak on behalf of the United Nations.
M.F / ABD
