UN: 100 Palestinians killed since start of year ‘fuelling a climate of fear, hatred and anger’

At least 100 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem this year, amid a massive increase in Israeli military raids, according to figures compiled by The United Nations (UN).

It means this year is now on course to become the deadliest for Palestinians in the West Bank since 2015, according to the UN.

Tor Wennesland, the UN’s Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, said, “Since the beginning of the year, at least 100 Palestinians, including children, have been killed, amid a significant increase in Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank, including Area A.”

“The escalation of violence in the occupied West Bank is fuelling a climate of fear, hatred and anger. It is necessary to reduce tensions immediately, to open space for decisive initiatives aimed at creating a viable political horizon,” Wennesland warned.

The UN’s figures comes after Israeli soldiers shot dead four Palestinian teenagers during a military raid across the occupied West Bank, following the Yom Kippur celebrations.

Three of the victims were under 18, including 17-year-old Mahdi Ladadweh, who was shot by Israeli forces near Ramallah, Adel Daud, 14, killed near the illegal separation wall and another two, aged 17 and 19, who were killed in an Israeli military raid in the Jenin refugee camp.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, described the deaths as “executions”.

“The fragility of the situation underscores the urgency of changing the dynamics on the ground, while addressing the underlying security and political issues that fuel the current instability,” the UN Envoy added.

The Israeli army frequently carries out wide-ranging arrest campaigns across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem on the pretext of searching for “wanted” Palestinians.

Overnight raids by the Israeli army are a near-daily practice in the occupied West Bank. Israel claims that they are essential for intelligence purposes, but rights groups have slammed the practice, insisting that the goal is to oppress and intimidate the Palestinian population and increase State control.

Like military checkpoints and the illegal Separation Wall, insist critics, the raids are part of the DNA of the apartheid state.

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