Occupied Jerusalem, Sept. 29 (SANA) Surging violence, increasing restrictions on movement and accelerating settlement expansion are causing serious harm to Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said Tuesday.
Julien Lerisson, head of the ICRC delegation for Israel and the Occupied Territories, said in a statement posted on the organization’s X account that frequent and severe violence must be brought to an end, stressing that the population must be protected from violence, including settler violence.
Lerisson said international humanitarian law provisions concerning the protection of public and private property and access to essential services must be respected.
The ICRC said movement restrictions have prevented patients from reaching healthcare facilities, children from attending school and residents from accessing their homes and livelihoods.
It added that ambulances can face lengthy delays at checkpoints and roadblocks or be forced to take longer routes because of road closures and violence, making the work of first responders more difficult and endangering lives.
The ICRC also reiterated its position that the establishment and expansion of Israeli civilian settlements in the occupied West Bank are incompatible with Article 49(6) of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
The occupied West Bank continues to face Israeli military raids, settlement expansion, land seizures and displacement, amid Palestinian and international warnings over measures that could further undermine prospects for an independent Palestinian state.
FJ/HH
