UN reports surge in West Bank displacement due to settler violence

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Reports High Displacement Numbers in January

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that nearly 700 Palestinians were displaced in January, with at least 694 individuals forced from their homes. This marks the highest number of displacements since Israel’s military operations in Gaza began in October 2023.

According to OCHA, settler violence and harassment have become a significant driver of displacement in the occupied West Bank. The office reported that an entire herding community in the Jordan Valley, Ras Ein al-Auja, was forced to leave their homes after months of sustained harassment. This displacement resulted in 600 individuals being displaced from the community.

OCHA also stated that January’s displacement numbers were particularly high due to the destruction of Palestinian-owned structures and dwellings by Israeli military forces. In addition, 182 Palestinians were displaced in January due to home demolitions.

The West Bank is home to over 500,000 Israelis living in settlements and outposts, which are considered illegal under international law. The occupied territory also has a population of approximately three million Palestinians.

A report by the Israeli NGO Peace Now notes that settlers use herding to establish a presence on agricultural land used by Palestinian communities, often with the backing of the Israeli military. Settlers have been known to destroy property and olive groves, injure and kill civilians, and resort to harassment and intimidation in order to force Palestinians out.

The director of the West Bank Protection Consortium stated that the lack of attention on the West Bank is a significant factor contributing to the displacement of Palestinians. “All eyes are focused on Gaza when it comes to Palestine, while we have an ongoing ethnic cleansing in the West Bank and nobody’s paying attention,” she said.

Source: Al Jazeera