Middle East
Türk: Israel is committing war crimes by building settlements
“The only way forward is a viable political solution that finally ends the occupation”: Volker Türk Photo
© Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone/dpa
Devastating verdict from Geneva: UN human rights chief Türk castigates Israeli settlements as war crimes. He calls for an end to the occupation and a viable political solution.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, speaks of war crimes in relation to the Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian West Bank.
The establishment and expansion of the settlements amounts to Israel moving its own civilian population into the areas it occupies, Türk said at the UN Human Rights Council, “which constitutes a war crime under international law.”
Türk presented his periodic report on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories to the UN Human Rights Council. This covers the period from November 2022 to October 2023. During this period, a good 24,000 new housing units were developed, more than ever in one year since monitoring of these activities began in 2017. The UN Human Rights Office had the number last year The number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank is estimated at around 700,000. Türk also criticized the recent decision in an Israeli planning committee to move forward with the construction of more than 3,426 new housing units.
“State violence” against Palestinians
Türk condemned settler violence and “state violence” against Palestinians, expulsions and the destruction of Palestinian homes. “Settler violence and settlement-related violations have reached shocking levels and risk destroying any practical possibility of establishing a viable Palestinian state,” Turk said. Since the terrorist attack on Israel by Palestinian terrorists on October 7th, there have been around 600 attacks by settlers. Since then, 396 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli security forces, nine by settlers. In the case of two deaths, it is unclear who was responsible.
In response, the Israeli embassy accused Türk of ignoring the suffering of Israelis. Last year, 36 Israelis died in the West Bank due to violence by Palestinians. “Human rights are universal, yet Israeli victims of Palestinian terrorism are continually ignored by the UN Human Rights Office.”
The only way forward is a viable political solution that finally ends the occupation, establishes an independent Palestinian state and guarantees the realization of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian people,” Turk said.