Overview
- The UN human rights office issued a warning on Wednesday, July 29, saying settler violence in the occupied West Bank has worsened and that settlement activity is at an all‑time high.
- The UN’s humanitarian office (OCHA) has recorded more than 1,330 settler‑related incidents since the start of 2026, with recent clashes leaving at least eight Palestinians and two Israeli military members dead in a single week.
- OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said settlers and Israeli security forces have often acted together in attacks that include assaults on families, property destruction and mosque burnings.
- Israeli officials have approved new settlement funding and plans this month, including a security‑cabinet allocation of about 1.3 billion shekels reported to establish dozens of settlements, which critics say accelerates territorial consolidation.
- The UN cites the International Court of Justice’s July 2024 advisory finding that the occupation is unlawful and is urging coordinated action by third states to halt killings, dispossession and the widening humanitarian crisis.