Israeli settlement activity accelerates in the West Bank, Security Council told

This article is published in association with United Nations.

The past three months have seen an increase in Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank alongside threats of annexation and mounting violence there and in the besieged Gaza Strip, the Security Council heard on Monday. 

Ramiz Alakbarov, UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, briefed on the Secretary-General’s quarterly report on implementation of Council resolution 2334 (2016).

It calls on Israel to “immediately and completely cease all settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem”, among other measures.

“Settlement activity has, nevertheless, accelerated,” he told ambassadors.

Settlement advancement, annexation moves

The report covers the period from 18 June to 19 September. During this time, Israeli authorities advanced or approved some 20,810 housing units in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

On 2 July, 15 Israeli ministers and the speaker of the Knesset, or parliament, signed a petition calling for Israel to annex the occupied West Bank. Three weeks later, the Knesset adopted a non-binding motion calling for the “application of Israeli sovereignty” across all settlements there. 

Demolitions and seizures of Palestinian-owned structures also increased while evictions continued. 

“Citing the lack of Israeli-issued building permits, which are almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain, Israeli authorities demolished, seized or forced people to demolish 455 structures”, he said.

Thirty of the structures were donor funded and overall, 420 people were displaced, mostly women and children. 

More death and displacement in Gaza

Resolution 2334 calls for “immediate steps to prevent all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror, as well as all acts of provocation and destruction.”

Mr. Alakbarov addressed the situation in the Gaza Strip, where Israeli military actions intensified, resulting in high numbers of casualties, continued massive displacement and widespread destruction.  

At least 7,579 Palestinians were killed and some 37,201 injured, according to the local health authorities.  He noted that “1,911 were reportedly killed while attempting to collect aid, including in the vicinity of militarized distribution sites.” 

At the same time, 37 soldiers with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) were killed in hostilities while 48 hostages are still being held by Palestinian armed groups, with 25 believed to be deceased. Thirty UN personnel were also killed during the reporting period.

He noted that Hamas and other militants continued to sporadically fire rockets indiscriminately toward Israel. Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad also released four videos appearing to show hostages in an emaciated condition.

‘Alarming’ violence in the West Bank 

“Meanwhile, violence in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, continued at an alarming rate,” he said.

In total, 46 Palestinians were killed during Israeli security force operations, armed exchanges, airstrikes, settler attacks, demonstrations and other incidents, while 890 were wounded, including due to tear gas inhalation, live ammunition, and by Israeli settlers and other civilians.

Armed Palestinians killed seven Israelis, according to Israeli sources. Another 62 people and 14 security forces were injured by Palestinians in other incidents, including shooting, stabbing and ramming attacks.

Israeli security forces also continued their large-scale operation in northern West Bank cities and refugee camps, particularly in Tulkarm and Jenin, alongside operations across other areas. 

The report highlighted that children continued to be killed by Israeli security forces, such as a 13-year-old Palestinian shot and killed on 25 June during a search operation west of Jenin.  Four other teenage boys were killed in separate incidents.

‘No legal validity’

Mr. Alakbarov concluded his remarks by sharing the UN Secretary-General’s observations on the implementation of the resolution.

He stressed that “Israeli settlements have no legal validity and constitute a flagrant violation of international law and UN resolutions. They are systematically shrinking the territory of the Palestinian State and further entrenching Israel’s unlawful occupation.”

Furthermore, the advancement of a plan to construct some 3,400 housing units in the E1 area “is a calamitous development”.

He warned that “if implemented, it would effectively sever the connection between the northern and southern West Bank, further undermining the contiguity of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, increasing the risk of forced displacement, and fueling tensions.”