Israeli occupation forces have killed 172 Palestinians since the start of 2023, compared to 155 killed in all of 2022, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) said in a report issued yesterday.
The fortnightly report stated that 2022 “saw the highest fatalities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 2005.”
It added that in the two weeks from 8-21 August, “559 Palestinians, including at least 148 children, were injured by Israeli forces across the West Bank, including 21 people by live ammunition.”
“Since the beginning of the year, a total of 705 Palestinians have been injured with live ammunition by Israeli forces in the West Bank, almost double the number in the equivalent period in 2022, which was 411.”
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The OCHA report stated that “16 homes and one agricultural structure have been demolished on punitive grounds since the beginning of 2023, compared with 14 structures in all of 2022 and three in 2021.”
“Punitive demolitions,” the report explained, “are a form of collective punishment and as such are illegal under international law.”
It also said: “Israeli forces restricted the movement of Palestinians in various locations across the West Bank, disrupting the access of thousands of Palestinians to livelihoods and services.”
The report also said that the Israeli occupation authorities “have carried out 41 demolition/ confiscations against 22 schools in Area C of the West Bank and East Jerusalem since 2010, citing the lack of building permits.”