UN inquiry: Israeli forces shielded settlers during West Bank attacks

Key facts

• A UN inquiry found Israeli authorities enabled and protected settlers in attacks on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
• Israeli security forces routinely accompanied settlers and acted as a shield for the violence.
• Attacks on Palestinian villages and agricultural land have surged by 130% since 2023.
• The report documented cases of assaults, abductions, and abuse of Palestinian children by settlers.
• Hamas-affiliated forces were involved in executions and severe physical violence in Gaza, amounting to war crimes.
• The October 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel were found to amount to war crimes.

A United Nations inquiry has found that Israeli authorities are directly involved in settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, with Israeli security forces providing protection to the settlers. The report by the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory stated that financial and military support from Israeli authorities, coupled with a climate of impunity fostered by judicial and law-enforcement bodies, has enabled these attacks.

The commission documented a significant surge in violence since 2023, with attacks on Palestinian villages and agricultural land increasing by 130%. It noted that Israeli security forces have routinely accompanied settlers and acted as a shield for the violence, leading to the deaths, injuries, and displacement of Palestinians. The report also detailed instances of assaults, abductions, and abuse of Palestinian children by settlers, including sexual violence intended to instill fear.

Israel has rejected the charges, stating that such actions are rogue incidents that violate military protocol and are investigated. However, Israeli and Palestinian rights groups note that these investigations rarely lead to punishment. The report highlighted that the increasing participation of Israeli security forces in settler attacks amounts to a de facto collapse of the distinction between settlers and soldiers, and that such violence has been used to advance state policy, including the unlawful occupation and annexation of Palestinian territory.

Separately, the commission expressed grave alarm over serious abuses documented in the Gaza Strip by the militant group Hamas. It found that Hamas-affiliated forces were involved in numerous documented cases of executions and severe physical violence, which it deemed war crimes and violations of international law. The report also reiterated that the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas amounted to war crimes.