Geneva – In its intervention before the UN Human Rights Council, the Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) stressed that the sharp escalation of Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank is not a reaction to the events of October 7, but part of a “long-term colonial project” backed by the occupying power and aimed at the de facto annexation of Palestinian land.

The intervention noted that since October 7, 2023, Israeli settlers have carried out more than 1,700 attacks across the West Bank. These assaults have killed and injured hundreds, forcibly displaced over 20 Palestinian communities, and uprooted more than 1,200 people, including 600 children.

State-Backed Violence
The statement underlined that this violence is “systematic and state-backed.” Most attacks occur under the protection of Israeli forces, while over 90% of Palestinian complaints are closed without charges. In parallel, Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has issued more than 100,000 gun licenses, effectively “militarizing the settlements.”

A Crime Against Humanity
These assaults were described as part of a broader policy of de facto annexation designed to create unbearable conditions forcing Palestinians off their land. Such acts amount to “forcible transfer and a crime against humanity.” Their intensification, alongside the ongoing war on Gaza, demonstrates that settler violence is not a response to October 7.

Call for International Sanctions
The intervention concluded by urging the Human Rights Council to support international investigative mechanisms addressing state complicity in settler violence. It further called for recognition of Israel’s failure to protect Palestinians as a breach of its obligations as an occupying power, requiring effective international action, including “targeted sanctions.”

Watch the statement:

https://youtu.be/3yrHOUf_Eok