West Bank seeing largest displacement of Palestinians since 1967, UN says
The UN said an Israeli military operation launched in the north of the occupied territory in January had displaced tens of thousands of people, raising concerns about possible 'ethnic cleansing'.
The military operation 'has been the longest since … the second Intifada', in the early 2000s, said Juliette Touma, spokeswoman for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees.
'It is impacting several refugee camps in the area, and it is causing the largest population displacement of the Palestinians in the West Bank since 1967,' she told reporters in Geneva via video from Jordan, referring to the six-day Arab-Israeli war that led to Israel's occupation of the West Bank.
The UN rights office meanwhile warned that mass forced displacement by an occupation force could amount to 'ethnic cleansing'.
Since Israel's military launched its operation 'Iron Wall' in the north of the West Bank in January, rights office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan said that 'about 30,000 Palestinians remain forcibly displaced'.
Israeli security forces had during the same period issued demolition orders for about 1,400 homes in the northern West Bank, he said, describing the figures as 'alarming'.
He pointed out that Israeli demolitions had displaced 2,907 Palestinians across the West Bank since October 2023.
Another 2,400 Palestinians – nearly half of them children – had been displaced as a result of Israeli settler actions, he added, lamenting that the combined result was the 'emptying large parts of the West Bank of Palestinians'.
'Permanently displacing the civilian population within occupied territory amounts to unlawful transfer,' Kheetan said, stressing that depending on the circumstances this could be 'tantamount to ethnic cleansing' and could 'amount to a crime against humanity'.
Kheetan said 757 attacks by Israeli settlers had been recorded in the West Bank during the first half of the year, a 13% increase on the same period in 2024.
Advertisement
The attacks injured 96 Palestinians in the occupied territory in June alone, he told reporters, stressing that this was the highest monthly injury toll of Palestinians from settler attacks, 'in over two decades'.
Violence in the West Bank has surged since the October 2023 attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas triggered war in the Gaza Strip.
Since then, at least 964 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, according to the UN.
During that same period, 53 Israelis have been killed in reported attacks by Palestinians or in armed clashes – 35 of them in the West Bank and 18 in Israel.
Gaza
Meanwhile, Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 18 people today, including two women who were shot near an aid distribution point in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory.
The ongoing conflict has created dire humanitarian conditions for Gaza's population of more than two million, displacing most residents at least once and triggering severe shortages of food and other essentials.
The civil defence agency told AFP that its 'crews have transported at least 18 martyrs and dozens of wounded since dawn', most of them following Israeli air strikes on the northern Gaza Strip.
One strike hit a tent in Gaza City housing displaced Palestinians, killing six people, according to the civil defence agency.
In the southern area of Rafah, two women were killed by Israeli fire near an aid distribution point, the agency said, adding that 13 people were wounded in the incident.
Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency and other parties.
The UN said that at least 875 have died trying to access aid in Gaza since late May – when Israel eased a two-month aid blockade – with most killed near sites run by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
On the outskirts of Gaza City on Tuesday, AFP footage from Al-Shati refugee camp showed Palestinians searching for survivors through the rubble of a family home hit in a strike that the civil defence said killed five people.
Jihad Omar, who was using his bare hands to dig through the concrete ruins, said he was looking for two children.
Related Reads
Fine Gael TD criticises Alan Shatter for comparing Occupied Territories Bill to Father Ted sketch
Micheál Martin likens Israel's plans for 'humanitarian city' in Gaza to a 'concentration camp'
'Every day, we bury children, women and elderly people. Homes collapse on the heads of their residents,' the 48-year-old told AFP.
'Find a solution,' he said.
'Let us raise those (children) who remain. We barely have any left.'
Meanwhile, Hamas announced the Israeli 'assassination' of a member of its political leadership, Muhammad Faraj al-Ghoul, who once served as a minister in the group's Gaza government.
Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military its forces had targeted 'several Hamas members in the Al-Shati area', without offering further details.
It did not comment on the other strikes reported by the civil defence agency, but said in a statement that troops had 'dismantled a terrorist tunnel' in the Khan Younis area, in southern Gaza.
Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.
Out of 251 hostages taken by Palestinian militants that day, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead.
Israel's retaliatory offensive, now in its 22nd month, has killed at least 58,479 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The UN considers the ministry's figures reliable.
© AFP 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Journal
an hour ago
- The Journal
Catherine Connolly, presidential hopeful, gave her first press conference today — here's what she said
THE SALARY, SYRIA and a vision for the next presidency. These were just some of the topics Galway TD and presidential hopeful Catherine Connolly spoke about today during her first press conference of her campaign. Connolly said she is a not a politician seeking office, but a 'citizen' looking to serve as president of Ireland. She said she battled with the decision to run, calling it a torturous decision, but said she told reporters she made the call last week to put her name forward. Catherine Connolly speaks to reporters outside Leinster House today. So what did we learn? 'United Ireland' coming very soon Connolly told reporters that she believes Northern Ireland is 'extremely important'. 'I think we're going to have united Ireland very soon. 'I think the Good Friday Agreement has set the framework for that… I think tremendous work has been done on the ground with cross-border bodies, and I look forward to the day when we have a united Ireland. Advertisement 'I absolutely value the diversity, and we must value the different backgrounds in Northern Ireland,' she added. On the €350,000 salary and would she take a reduced amount? The salary for the presidency is approximately €350,000. President Michael D Higgins has waived a portion of it over his two terms. When The Journal asked if she would take a reduced salary, Connolly said she will 'look at the salary'. She added that she is 'open to ideas on that'. 'I'm certainly going to use it for the common good,' she said. She said she would discuss it with her team and set out how she would use the salary 'in due course'. On her trip to Syria during dictator Bashar al-Assad's time When questioned about a trip to Syria she undertook with former TDs Clare Daly, Mick Wallace and Maureen O'Sullivan, she told reporters that she funded the trip herself: 'We went there for a purpose of fact finding. I met no member of government. Indeed, our whole thing was a Palestinian activist… I saw firsthand the destruction of a whole city. I mean, my idea up to then of a refugee camp wasn't up to scratch really, I was looking at demolition of a city. 'We were shown around by Palestinians. We stayed with them all of the time. After that, we went down to Aleppo. We met the Chamber of Commerce. We had a meeting with UNICEF. We went into a convent, and met a nun, unfortunately who has since died, and many other, many other aspects of that trip. On no occasion had I anything to do with the government, nor did I ever utter one word of support for Assad,' she said. Does she regret signing the nomination papers of Gemma O'Doherty in the last presidential election? Connolly says she doesn't regret her decision to sign O'Doherty's papers at the time, stating that she did not know her personally but saw her as a journalist who had done some very good work in the past. 'Do I support her in any way? Not at all,' she said, stating that her 'judgment call was right at the time'. Related Reads Question mark over Mary Lou McDonald's potential candidacy as support for Connolly builds Left parties begin to align behind Catherine Connolly in race for Áras Forget the presidency - Joe Duffy is now doing ads for Lidl Will she make spending in Áras an Uachtaráin more transparent? There has long been a debate on creating more transparency around the spend on the presidency. While most State bodies are subject to the Freedom of Information Act, the office for the presidency is not. The office of presidency spends about €7m per year, but the breakdown of that spending is kept under wraps. Would Connolly change that? She wouldn't commit to that, only telling The Journal that while she sat on the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee closely scrutinised the spending, stating that she would hope such scrutiny continues. She says she's not a Michael D Higgins continuity candidate Connolly told reporters today that she is proud of President Micheal D Higgins and how he has spoken out about Gaza. 'He showed courage when courage was necessary,' she said. 'I would never describe myself as a continuity candidate. I come from a family of 14, and we have all striven to have our own personalities, and indeed, we would take great exception to say we're following somebody else. I have my own vision and my own support and my own values,' she said. How does she plan to fund her campaign? Connolly said that she will be asking for contributions from supporters, but said parties that are backing her have also offered cash. 'If I had thought about the cost and what's been estimated, a quarter of a million or a half a million [Euro], I think I'd be overwhelmed, and you wouldn't stand,' she said. Connollys said she wants her message to be that 'you do not need to be rich. You do not need to have wealth to stand, nor should you need it'. 'Having said that, I will need money, and we will be asking for contributions, because obviously we need a campaign. But the stronger message is we can do this. This is bigger than wealth and money. This is about having a voice, having a vision, and reflecting the people on the ground, in all its diversity, north and south,' said Connolly. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Taoiseach hits back at US ambassador's 'vat of Guinness' comments over Occupied Territories Bill
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has hit back at claims from a senior Trump administration figure that the Government "fell into a vat of Guinness" when drawing up the Occupied Territories Bill. US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee had posted on social media that Ireland should "sober up" and apologise to Israel for the bill's passage through the Oireachtas. "Did the Irish fall into a vat of Guinness and propose something so stupid that it would be attributed to act of diplomatic intoxication?" Mr Huckabee said in the post. "It will harm Arabs as much as Israelis. Sober up Ireland! Call [the Israel foreign ministry] and say you're sorry!" Trade ban The bill will ban the trade of goods with illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. The Government said there is a narrow legal basis, based on an advisory opinion from the UN's top court, to ban the trade of goods with illegal Israeli settlements. The Government has said this is being done to comply with the International Court of Justice, which said last year that countries should "take steps to prevent trade or investment relations" that maintain illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land. In response, Mr Martin said that he "rejects the comments made by the ambassador". "The situation is very serious in Gaza, including an appalling loss of human life. Terrible war crimes are being committed," he said. "Ireland has consistently condemned Hamas and we equally condemn Israeli breaches of international humanitarian law in Gaza. The slaughter of children must stop. The slaughter of innocent civilians queuing for food must stop. What is going on is beyond any moral compass. "Ireland stands for peace and a political pathway forward." Mr Huckabee's criticism was echoed by others in the US, including the pro-Israel organisation, the Anti-Defamation League, which said it was "deeply concerned" about the bill, which will impact a small amount of trade. On Wednesday in the Seanad, Senator Michael McDowell roundly rejected all and any claims that the actions of Ireland, its Government, or its Houses of Parliament were motivated by, or amounted, to anti-semitism. Claims that Ireland's position reflected anti-semitism, which he defined as hatred of Jews, were grossly defamatory and untrue. 'Our position on Gaza is shared by many Israeli Jews, including a former Israeli prime minister.' Referring to the appearance of former deputy Alan Shatter at an Oireachtas committee, Mr McDowell cited a passage in a book written and published by Mr Shatter in which the former justice minister had claimed that an accusation of 'arrogance' made against him by Willie O'Dea in the Dáil was an 'anti-semitic' trope. 'It is simply defamatory and untrue to assert that Ireland's position on Gaza and recognition of the Palestinian state was motivated by anti-semitism or hatred of Jews.' Read More Crush at Gaza aid site kills at least 20, GHF blames armed agitators
Irish Times
2 hours ago
- Irish Times
Standards for supporting asylum seekers ‘have to be maintained', says UN high commissioner
Migration opportunities into Europe should 'open up' so people can legally move to countries like Ireland for work rather than 'obstructing asylum channels', the United Nations high commissioner for refugees has warned . The lack of 'broad and well-regulated' migration channels for people seeking work and a better life in Europe is 'taking away the credibility and capacity' of asylum channels needed for people who are legitimately fleeing violence and human rights abuses, Filippo Grandi said on Wednesday during a visit to Dublin. The high commissioner acknowledged Ireland had dealt with a recent influx of international protection applicants, using 'tools designed for much smaller arrivals', but said standards for supporting asylum seekers 'have to be maintained'. Speaking at the Institute of International and European Affairs, Mr Grandi warned that Europe's focus on increasing security and defence spending, while simultaneously cutting foreign aid assistance, was 'myopic, short-sighted' and a 'strategic mistake'. READ MORE 'Defunding and decreasing aid is not only morally wrong but also strategically very risky,' he said, expressing particular concern for the African countries neighbouring Sudan who are dealing with huge population movement. Europeans should also be concerned about aid cuts in the 'belt of crisis' surrounding this continent, he said. 'We already estimate 350,000 Sudanese have moved to Libya, so what will that mean for Europe? It's not that aid automatically stops people moving but it has a stabilising function. 'Europe should see this as investment in its security. There are areas that Europe should be mindful, if not properly resourced, may turn into liabilities for the European continent. Making those crises worse can only weaken your own security.' The decision by countries like France, Germany, Spain and Italy to slash their aid budgets and increase defence spending – following a trend set by US president Donald Trump, who has frozen nearly all US foreign aid assistance – is having a 'devastating' impact on the food security, health and education of millions of people, he said. In 2024, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) received more than $2 billion in donations from the US, making up 40 per cent of its total donations. The agency, led by Mr Grandi, now receives 0 per cent support from the Trump administration. UNHCR has now cut nearly a third of its personnel and activities worldwide, said Mr Grandi. In 2024, the agency distributed $700 million in cash support globally. This is forecast to drop by more than half by the end of 2025, he added. Vital education and gender-based violence programmes, which are not deemed 'life-saving', have been cut as a result. [ Israel not yet fully implementing Gaza aid agreement, EU says Opens in new window ] 'I consider education life-saving but one has to be realistic,' said Mr Grandi. 'We simply do not have enough money and we have to keep people alive. Foreign assistance is very small compared to defence spending so is it really strategic to cut this spending? Is it really necessary?' Mr Grandi commended Ireland for being 'one of the few remaining champions of the UN 'rule based system' in a world where international diplomacy is increasingly 'under attack'. His comments followed a commitment by Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Wednesday that Ireland would continue to financially support UNHCR's work. The high commissioner said people were losing trust in the UN's system of multilateralism – where countries work together to solve global conflicts and challenges through co-operation. This 'explicit loss of trust' is resulting in 'disengagement from international debate and co-operation', particularly around trade, climate and forced displacement or migration of refugees, he said. Asked to comment on the ongoing blockade of UNRWA-led aid into the Gaza Strip, Mr Grandi said humanitarian support must reach Palestinians in a 'legitimate manner' and not in a way that is 'manipulated by other interests, military interests'. The 'unprecedented, provoked' displacement of Palestinians continues to be a 'major violation of international humanitarian law', said Mr Grandi, who is also the former commissioner general for UNWRA. 'On Gaza, what is there left to say. When we say what's happening there is unspeakable I'm tempted to stop. Because if it is unspeakable, you can't even speak about it any more.'
