OCCUPIED WEST BANK — The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that Israeli forces and settlers killed at least 240 Palestinians and injured nearly 4,000 others in the occupied West Bank during 2025.
In a statement, OCHA said settler attacks exceeded 1,800 incidents over the year and caused widespread damage to homes, land, and livelihoods. The office added that escalating settler violence has driven mass displacement, particularly among Bedouin and herding communities in the central West Bank.
According to OCHA, more than 100 Palestinian families from five Bedouin communities were forced to flee their homes in just two weeks, between January 6 and January 19. The office said repeated settler attacks, threats, and intimidation made it impossible for native Palestinians to remain in their villages.
OCHA explained that settlers blocked access to homes, grazing lands, and water sources, leaving families with no safe or viable option other than displacement. Humanitarian teams documented growing fear among communities that now face daily violence and harassment.
The UN office also reported a record surge in demolitions in occupied Jerusalem. Israeli authorities demolished 256 homes and structures under the pretext of lacking building permits. OCHA said the scale of demolitions has reached an unprecedented level and continues to undermine Palestinian presence in the city.
The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) warned that ongoing Israeli military operations, settler violence, and movement restrictions continue to disrupt daily life across the West Bank. The agency said these measures limit access to schools, workplaces, markets, and healthcare facilities.
UNFPA estimated that more than 230,000 women and girls now struggle to access reproductive health services due to the deteriorating security situation. The figure includes nearly 15,000 pregnant women who face serious risks as Israeli violence intensifies and movement becomes more restricted.
UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territory Francesca Albanese stated that Israel is carrying out a systematic attack on the United Nations itself. She called for the suspension of Israel’s UN membership and the imposition of international sanctions.
In a statement issued on Friday, Albanese described the demolition of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) headquarters in occupied Jerusalem as a dangerous escalation. She said the move directly targets the international organization and the Palestinian people at the same time.
Ajit Sunghay, head of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, said Israeli authorities are placing the United Nations under growing pressure. Speaking to Al Jazeera, he said the UN now faces direct attacks and political pressure that threaten its ability to operate and protect civilians.
UN agencies warned that without urgent international action, violence, displacement, and humanitarian suffering in the West Bank will continue to deepen throughout 2025. — QNN
