Amman, June 9 (Petra) -- The United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory stated that Israeli authorities are directly complicit in attacks launched by settlers, which have resulted in the killing, injury, and displacement of Palestinians across the occupied West Bank.

In a report published on Tuesday, the Commission emphasized that Palestinian civilians are systematically and deliberately subjected to gross human rights violations. It asserted that Israeli authorities are directly involved in settler attacks, having enabled them through financial and military support amid a climate of impunity and the complicity of judicial and law enforcement agencies.

The Commission explained that settler violence in the West Bank serves not only as a tool to implement Israeli state policies but also targets the same strategic objectives of maintaining the illegal occupation, annexing Palestinian land, and displacing Palestinians from their territories.

"Acts of harassment and intimidation perpetrated by settlers against Palestinian women and girls severely restrict their daily activities, preventing them from accessing public spaces, schools, and workplaces," the report stated.

The report noted that attacks on Palestinian villages and agricultural lands have escalated since 2023, surging by 130 percent. These incidents have included attacks by groups of masked individuals, with the report highlighting that Israeli security forces frequently accompanied the settlers and provided them protection during these acts of violence.

The Chair of the Commission, Srinivasan Muralidhar, stated, "Settler violence against Palestinians is a direct consequence of Israeli policies that support, enable, and protect the perpetrators." He demanded that Israel halt its support for this violence and ensure that its security forces protect the Palestinian civilian population.

The report is scheduled to be presented during the 62nd session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, which begins on June 15 in Geneva.

//Petra// AF