Israel involved in illegal settler actions: Human Rights Watch

By Muhammed Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL(AA) – Human Rights Watch (HRW) accused the Israeli military of involvement in illegal Israeli settler attacks in the West Bank, resulting in displacement from 20 communities, with at least seven communities entirely uprooted since Oct. 7, 2023.

HRW investigated attacks that forcibly displaced all residents of Khirbet Zanuta and Khirbet al-Ratheem south of Hebron, al-Qanub east of Hebron, and Ein al-Rashash and Wadi al-Seeq, east of Ramallah, in October and November 2023.

A report by HRW highlighted illegal Israeli settlers' acts against Palestinians during the ongoing hostilities in Gaza, including assaults, torture, sexual violence, theft, death threats, and demolitions of homes and schools.

Bill Van Esveld, associate children’s rights director at Human Rights Watch, stated: “While the attention of the world is focused on Gaza, abuses in the West Bank, fueled by decades of impunity and complacency among Israel’s allies, are soaring.”

The report said numerous Palestinians, including whole communities, have fled their homes and lands, with the military failing to ensure their security or allow their return, leaving them in “precarious” situations elsewhere.

Illegal Israeli settlers reportedly threatened Palestinians to "flee to Jordan" or face extermination, grazing their sheep on Palestinian lands, causing fear and mental harm, especially among children.

HRW found instances where armed illegal settlers, often with army units, blocked roads, raided Palestinian communities, detained, assaulted, and terrorized residents, forcibly evicting them from their homes and preventing them from taking their belongings.

- Over 700 attacks since Oct. 7

It said: “UN has recorded more than 700 settler attacks between Oct. 7 and April 3, with soldiers in uniform present in nearly half of the attacks.”

The report also demonstrated Israeli police's failure to enforce laws against illegal Israeli settlers.

It claimed Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir instructed police not to enforce the law against illegal settlers, citing a report by an Israeli investigative journalist.

HRW said countries, including the United States, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom, have authorized weapons exports to Israel, raising “concerns” of complicity in human rights abuses.

The report suggested forcible transfer or deportation and the extensive destruction and appropriation of property in occupied territory are “war crimes” and called for accountability for those who are responsible.

The organization said: “The US, the EU, UK, and other countries should take action to ensure accountability for those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity.”

It also called for sanctions, and measures to suspend military support to Israel.

HRW underlined a surge in illegal settler attacks after Oct. 7, with soldiers present in nearly half of these incidents, led to over 1,200 displaced individuals, including 600 children, with at least 17 Palestinians killed and 400 wounded.

After the Oct. 7 attacks, the Israeli military enlisted 5,500 illegal settlers, some with criminal records, into West Bank "regional defense" battalions, distributing 7,000 firearms to members.

Nearly 34,000 Palestinians have been killed and 76,800 others injured in the Israeli onslaught since Oct. 7, 2023, amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities. Israel says nearly 1,200 people have been killed in the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.