The U.N. human rights office released a report on Friday stating that the establishment and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and east Jerusalem are considered a war crime. The report, covering the period from Nov. 1, 2022, to Oct. 31, 2023, highlighted a significant increase in the advancement of roughly 24,300 housing units in existing settlements in the West Bank, marking the highest number in a year since monitoring began in 2017.
The report expressed concern over the surge in the construction of new settlement homes in recent months, with U.N. human rights chief Volker Türk warning that such actions could jeopardize the possibility of establishing a viable Palestinian state. Türk presented the report to the Human Rights Council, condemning Israel's reported plans to build nearly 3,500 settler homes in three areas as a violation of international law.
The report emphasized that the creation and expansion of settlements involve the transfer of Israel's population into occupied territories, constituting a war crime under international law. The international community widely regards the settlements as illegal under international law.
The escalation of settlement activity and violence in the West Bank has been overshadowed by the recent conflict in Gaza, where Israeli forces launched a military campaign against Hamas following deadly attacks in Israel on Oct. 7. The report underscored the detrimental impact of settler violence and settlement-related violations on the already fragile situation in the West Bank.
