Israeli settler violence displaced over 1,100 Palestinians since 2022: UN

Violence from illegal Israeli settlers has displaced over 1,100 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since 2022, according to a UN report, with officials describing the exodus as unparalleled in recent years.

The report released on Thursday documented about three settler-related incidents each day in the occupied West Bank — the highest daily average since the UN began documenting the trend in 2006.

The violence has completely emptied out five Palestinian communities.

Six more have seen half their inhabitants leave, and seven have seen a quarter flee, the report said.

"The UN has recorded unprecedented levels of settler violence against Palestinians this year," said Lynn Hastings, humanitarian coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory.

"The humanitarian community is responding to their immediate needs, but there would be no need for humanitarian assistance if their fundamental rights were upheld."

Experts say the trend is transforming the map of the occupied West Bank and further undermining the prospects for an independent Palestinian state.

The affected villages are mostly reliant on herding and agriculture for their livelihoods. Nearly all of the communities reported having to sell part of their livestock and 70 percent have had to borrow money to pay for artificial feed after settler incursions cut off access to their grazing lands, the report said.

The Palestinian communities that saw the greatest population loss were in areas with the highest number of settlement outposts, according to the report.

COGAT, the Israeli defence body responsible for Palestinian civilian affairs, did not respond to a request for comment.

Illegal settlement expansion has been promoted by successive Israeli governments over nearly six decades, but Netanyahu’s far-right government has made it a top priority.

Settler firebrand and powerful Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich now oversees settlement policy and has vowed to step up construction and legalise outposts built without authorization.

The international community overwhelmingly views settlements as illegal and a major obstacle to peace.

US President Joe Biden met with Netanyahu on Wednesday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, raising concerns about the Israeli government's treatment of the Palestinians.

Biden's concerns over 'settler terrorist violence'

In the pair’s first meeting since Netanyahu took office late last year, Biden urged Netanyahu to take steps to improve conditions in the West Bank at a time of heightened violence in the occupied territory.

A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the private talks, confirmed that Biden had raised his concerns about “settler terrorist violence” during the meeting.

According to UN data, nearly all the communities where displacement occurred said they had filed complaints with authorities, but only 6 percent said that Israeli authorities had followed up on the complaint.

Some 190 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire this year. Nearly half were affiliated with armed groups, but stone-throwing youths protesting military incursions and people not involved in the confrontations have also been killed.

More than 30 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks on Israelis.