According to a United Nations report, Israeli settlers in the West Bank carried out at least 264 attacks against Palestinians in October. This marks the highest level since records began in 2006. On average, there were eight such incidents per day.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) warned on Friday in a statement of a sharp increase in violent incidents. Injuries and property damage are commonplace. Since 2006, Ocha has documented more than 9600 attacks, with around 1500 occurring this year – about 15 percent of the total.
The West Bank is home to 2.7 million Palestinians and now around half a million Israeli settlers. The Israeli government has been expanding its settlement plans in the region for years. The United Nations has condemned the settlement policy as illegal, violating international law. Germany has repeatedly criticized the plans.
Ocha also reports that this year, 42 Palestinian children in the West Bank have been killed by Israeli forces. This means children account for one-fifth of the total Palestinians killed in the region. Israel has not yet commented on the report.