GENEVA — The U.N. human rights office says in a report published Friday that the establishment and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem amount to a war crime.
The report covers the one-year period from Nov. 1, 2022, to Oct. 31, 2023, when it says roughly 24,300 housing units in existing settlements in the West Bank were “advanced” — the highest number in a year since monitoring began in 2017. It deplored an increase in the building of new settlement homes in recent months.
“The West Bank is already in crisis. Yet, settler violence and settlement-related violations have reached shocking new levels, and risk eliminating any practical possibility of establishing a viable Palestinian state,” U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk said. He presented the report to the Human Rights Council on Friday.
Reports this week that Israel plans to build nearly 3,500 settler homes in three areas “fly in the face of international law,” he said.
Türk said the creation and expansion of settlements amount to the transfer by Israel of its own population into territories that it occupies, “which amounts to a war crime under international law,” his office said in a statement.
There was no immediate comment from the Israeli diplomatic mission in Geneva.
Much of the international community considers the settlements to be illegal under international law.
Expanded settlement activity and an upsurge in violence in the West Bank in recent months have been largely overshadowed by bloodshed and displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, where Israeli forces have led a blistering military campaign against the militant group Hamas following its deadly Oct. 7 attacks in Israel.
The United Nations Human Rights Office recently declared that Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories are a violation of international law and constitute a war crime. This decision has sparked controversy and reignited the debate over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem have long been a point of contention between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The settlements are built on land that is considered by the international community to be occupied territory, and their construction is seen as a barrier to peace negotiations between the two sides.
The UN’s decision to label the settlements as a war crime is significant because it carries legal weight and could potentially lead to sanctions against Israel. The UN has called on Israel to immediately cease all settlement activities and to dismantle existing settlements.
The Israeli government has vehemently rejected the UN’s decision, arguing that the settlements are necessary for security reasons and are not illegal under international law. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called the UN’s decision “absurd” and has vowed to continue building settlements in Palestinian territories.
The Palestinian Authority, on the other hand, has welcomed the UN’s decision and has called on the international community to take action against Israel. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has stated that the settlements are a major obstacle to peace and that they must be removed in order for a two-state solution to be viable.
The issue of Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories is a complex and deeply divisive one. Many Israelis see the settlements as a legitimate expression of their right to live in their ancestral homeland, while many Palestinians view them as a form of illegal occupation and a violation of their rights.
The UN’s decision to label the settlements as a war crime is likely to further inflame tensions between Israel and the Palestinians. It remains to be seen how this will impact future peace negotiations and whether it will lead to any concrete actions against Israel.
In conclusion, the UN’s declaration that Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories are a war crime is a significant development in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict. It highlights the deep-rooted issues at the heart of the conflict and underscores the urgent need for a peaceful resolution that respects the rights and aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians.
