In West Bank – Violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians is rising at a straggering rate

[Infographics] -The violence of Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank is traced here since 2017 with the collaboration of Visualizing Palestine

This is what life is like in the West Bank under Israeli military occupation. Property damage, intimidation and harassment, casualties…

Israeli settlers committed at least 1,049 attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank between January and September 2022.

Settlers live on land stolen from Palestinians under Israeli military occupation. The intention of these attacks is closely aligned with official policies of the Israeli government: to coerce Palestinian communities into leaving their homes in order to take over even more land and resources resulting in de facto annexing parts of the West Bank.

In 2022, far more Palestinians have been killed and injured by Israeli soldiers as part of Israeli settler violent attacks.

For Palestinians, it is impossible to separate the violence they experience at the hands of the Israeli state from violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers. Israeli authorities not only fail to stop settler attacks, but enable them.

Here’s how it works:

• The Israeli government continues to expand illegal Israeli settlements and has been open about plans to officially annex large parts of the occupied West Bank.
• The Israeli government effectively rewards Israeli settlers for attacks by recognizing and supporting settlement outposts (new developments established by Israeli settlers on Palestinian land not being yet legalized by Israeli administration).
• Israeli soldiers are frequently present during settler attacks, but refuse to confront the perpetrators. Their presence makes the situation even more dangerous for Palestinians, because they often physically attack Palestinians as well.
• Israeli soldiers attack Palestinians who try to defend their lives, land, and property during settler attacks, firing tear gas, rubber bullets, or live ammunition.

• The Israeli legal system establishes an environment of near-complete impunity for violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers against Palestinians.

We call on Third states and international organisations to

1/ Adopt all available means to ensure that Israel’s complies with its obligations under international law.

2/ Monitor trends—and support the monitoring efforts of others—relating to settler violence and report on this phenomenon in the relevant fora, including Special Reports to the United Nations Security Council.

3/ Call upon Israel to cease its policy of leniency; and to exercise due diligence through the effective prevention, protection, investigation, prosecution, sanction, and remedy for settler- related violence.

4/ Insist that investigations into settler violence are consistent with international policing standards; and be adequate, prompt, thorough, impartial and independent, with sufficient public scrutiny to ensure meaningful accountability.

Read the infographics in English

Also read: In the West Bank and Gaza Strip, the population is facing the 55th year of israeli occupation