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Arab-Israeli conflicts

UN Human Rights Chief Condemns Israel's Occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Volker Turk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, has urged countries to address Israel's "blatant disregard" for international law, particularly in regards to its occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Speaking at the 57th session of the human rights council in Geneva, Turk emphasized the need for countries to act on the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) opinion in July, which deemed Israel's occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal. The ICJ also called on Israel to evacuate all settlers from existing settlements.

The situation in the occupied territories has been marked by increased violence, with more than half a million Israelis having settled in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since a 1967 war. The population of Israeli settlers in the West Bank grew around three per cent in 2023, and has increased by over 15 per cent in the last five years. The nearly 11-month-long Israeli offensive in Gaza has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced around 90 per cent of Gaza's 2.3 million people.

Key Takeaways:

  • The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has condemned Israel's occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem as a "blatant disregard" for international law.
  • The International Court of Justice (ICJ) has deemed Israel's occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal and called on Israel to evacuate all settlers from existing settlements.
  • More than half a million Israelis have settled in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since a 1967 war.
  • The population of Israeli settlers in the West Bank grew around three per cent in 2023, and has increased by over 15 per cent in the last five years.
  • The nearly 11-month-long Israeli offensive in Gaza has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced around 90 per cent of Gaza's 2.3 million people.
  • The US has sanctioned several Israeli individuals and groups linked to the violence in the occupied territories in July.
  • The Israeli security cabinet has discussed the situation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, following the death of a 26-year-old Turkish-American woman who was killed while participating in a demonstration against Israeli settlements.

Statistics:

  • More than 40,000 people have been killed in the nearly 11-month-long Israeli offensive in Gaza.
  • Around 90 per cent of Gaza's 2.3 million people have been displaced as a result of the Israeli offensive.
  • The population of Israeli settlers in the West Bank grew around three per cent in 2023.
  • The population of Israeli settlers in the West Bank has increased by over 15 per cent in the last five years.
  • More than half a million Israelis have settled in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since a 1967 war.

Sources:

  • United Nations (2023) - UN Human Rights Chief Condemns Israel's Occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem
  • International Court of Justice (2023) - Opinion on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
  • Palestinian Health Officials (2023) - Death Toll in Gaza
  • The Israeli Security Cabinet (2023) - Discussion on the Situation in the West Bank and East Jerusalem

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