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Israeli settlement of Efrat: The latest evaluation shows more new settlements in the West Bank than ever since monitoring began

Photo: Ronen Zvulun / REUTERS

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 told 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 panel.

This covers the period from November 2022 to October 2023. During this time, the construction of a good 24,000 new residential units was pushed forward, more than ever in a year since monitoring these activities began in 2017. Last year, the UN Human Rights Office puts the number of Israeli settlers in the West Bank 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.

Türk also 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 undermining any practical possibility of establishing a viable Palestinian state," he 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 is responsible.

Türk calls for an end to the occupation

Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967 and has been building more and more settlements ever since.

The settlements are illegal under international law.

Settlement policy is one of the biggest points of contention between Israelis and Palestinians - and complicates the prospects for a two-state solution.

"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 basic rights of the Palestinian people," said Türk.

A two-state solution is currently at best a theoretical possibility.

It is currently ruled out that the idea will be implemented.

The background is the war in the Gaza Strip.

It is Israel's response to the Hamas terrorist attack on October 7th.

Supporters of the terrorist organization and its allies advanced into Israel from the Gaza Strip and committed massacres against the Israeli population; dozens of people were also kidnapped into the Gaza Strip.

Israel has identified the destruction of Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, as one of the most important war aims and is acting with unprecedented severity in the Gaza Strip.

An end to the military operation in Gaza is not yet in sight.

There is still no political solution for the post-war order.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly emphasized that his policies have so far prevented the two-state solution.

However, Israel's allies, including Germany, see the Palestinian Authority as having an important role in the postwar order.

This governs the West Bank.

However, the organization would have to be comprehensively reformed.

asc/dpa