UN Issues Alert on Escalating Zionist Settler Violence in West Bank Amid Abduction, Torture of Two Americans
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports a significant escalation in violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in 2025. The agency documented more than 220 injuries, averaging 44 per month, which represents the highest monthly rate of attacks witnessed in two decades.
The latest weekly report from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) highlights that the entire Palestinian Bedouin community of Maghayer ad Deir, comprising approximately 120 individuals, has been forcibly displaced. This development follows the establishment of a fourth unauthorized outpost by Israeli settlers in proximity to their village in the West Bank.
Israeli movement restrictions throughout the Salfit governorate have significantly curtailed access to vital services such as healthcare, education, and employment opportunities for close to 90,000 Palestinians.
Since the onset of 2025, punitive demolitions carried out by Israeli forces have resulted in the displacement of 80 individuals.
In May, Israeli demolition activities resulted in the destruction of 50 homes in the Nur Shams refugee camp. Simultaneously, residents of the Tulkarm camp were given just a three-hour notice to vacate 20 buildings.
According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), over 33,000 Palestinians continue to be displaced, unable to return to their residences in the refugee camps of Jenin, Nur Shams, and Tulkarm.
**Palestinian-American Brothers Allegedly Abducted by Settlers in the West Bank**
According to Palestine’s official WAFA news agency, Israeli settlers have abducted and subjected two Palestinian-American brothers from Burqa village, near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, to acts of torture.
Brothers Ghassan and Imad Jaber were subjected to an attack during a visit to their relatives in a village close to Ramallah. Following their abduction, the brothers were later freed and transported to a nearby hospital for medical attention, as confirmed by local mayor Sayel Canaan to Arabic media sources.
Since October 7, 2023, there has been an increase in violence in the West Bank attributed to Israeli military actions in Gaza, described by some as genocidal. During this period, around 1,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied region.
Thousands of Palestinians have been forced to vacate their residences in Jenin and Tulkarm, located in the northern sectors, over the past few months. Concerns grow among Palestinians of Gaza-style evacuations, as Israel intensifies its pressure on Jenin and other refugee camps throughout the occupied territories.
In July, the International Court of Justice issued a declaration stating that Israel’s enduring occupation of Palestinian territories is unlawful. The court called for the removal of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
