UN rights office urges Israel to halt military operations in Jenin, northern West Bank

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - The UN Human Rights Office on Saturday called for an immediate halt to Israeli military operations in the Jenin refugee camp, condemning the use of "unlawful force."

In a statement, the rights office criticized the Israeli forces' use of military weapons and tactics in the densely populated area, home to about 11,000 Palestinians.

The ongoing Israeli military operation in Jenin refugee camp and “adjacent parts of the city has led apparently to unlawful killings, insecurity for Palestinian residents and enormous destruction of the camp,” it said.

The UN reported that 12 Palestinians have been killed since the operation began on Wednesday, including five in airstrikes and seven by live ammunition.

The statement also highlighted widespread destruction, including bulldozed roads and damaged infrastructure, leaving many families trapped without access to water and food.

Israel's use of military weapons and tactics are contributing to an escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank, it added.

The statement also emphasized that Israel, as the occupying power, is bound by international law to protect the Palestinian population.

On Wednesday, the Israeli army launched a major military operation in the northern West Bank, the largest since 2002, killing 22 Palestinians, according to Palestinian figures.

Tensions have been high across the occupied West Bank amid a brutal Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in nearly 40,700 Palestinian deaths, mostly women and children, since Oct. 7 last year.

At least 675 Palestinians have been killed, nearly 5,400 injured, and over 10,300 arrested in the occupied territory, according to Palestinian figures.

In a landmark opinion on July 19, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land unlawful and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.