GENEVA: The UN rights head issued a warning on Friday, calling the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories “a war crime” that runs the risk of destroying any chance of a Palestinian state ever existing.
Volker Turk claimed that since the Gaza crisis broke out in October, there has been a sharp increase in the construction of illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights noted in his statement that the establishment and growth of settlements amounted to Israel relocating its own civilian population into occupied lands.
In a report to the UN Human Rights Council, Turk stated that “such transfers amount to a war crime that may engage the individual criminal responsibility of those involved.”
He claimed that Israeli plans to construct 3,476 more settler homes in the occupied West Bank colonies of Kedar, Efrat, and Maale Adumim “fly in the face of international law.”
Turk reported that around 24,300 new dwelling units were added to the Israeli settlements already in place in the occupied West Bank between November 1, 2022, and October 31, 2023, the period covered by his research.
Since monitoring started in 2017, that represents the highest amount ever. Nearly 9,700 of them are in east Jerusalem, according to the UN rights office.
According to Turk’s report, there appears to be a significant alignment between the policies of the Israeli government and the settler movement. The settler movement’s goals are to expand long-term control over the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, and to gradually integrate the occupied territory into the state of Israel.
It stated that Israeli governmental aggression and settler violence are driving Palestinians from their homes at the same time.
It also mentioned the limits placed on Palestinians’ freedom of movement, forceful evictions, and the denial of building licenses.
“Settler violence and violations related to settlements have escalated to unprecedented levels, potentially obliterating any realistic chance of creating a sovereign Palestinian state,” issued a warning from Turk.
