According to UN OCHA report over 200 Palestinians killed in 2023
Amidst a surge in violence and escalating tensions in the West Bank, more than 200 Palestinians have lost their lives, and over 1,000 herders have been forced from their lands, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Human Affairs (OCHA).
The UN OCHA has reported that this year has witnessed a sharp increase in violence, with over 200 Palestinians losing their lives in the West Bank. The Israeli military has intensified its operations in West Bank cities and towns, coinciding with a surge in settler attacks targeting Palestinians.
In a fact sheet released in September, OCHA highlighted the escalating settler violence in 2023, stating, “Three settler-related incidents per day occurred on average in the first eight months of 2023, compared to an average of two per day in 2022.”
These incidents frequently involved attacks against herding communities, with settlers causing destruction to trees, crops, and property, at times preventing farmers from accessing their lands.
The deteriorating security situation has resulted in the displacement of 1,105 individuals from 28 herding communities, pushing them to abandon their ancestral lands and relocate to towns or rural areas. OCHA conducted an assessment of the humanitarian needs of 63 Palestinian herding communities affected by settler attacks.
