Increase in settler violence: remarks provided to the press

Remarks provided by Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

"In the first six months of 2023, the UN has recorded 591 settler-related incidents resulting in Palestinian casualties, property damage or both. That's a monthly average of 99 incidents this year.

"Palestinian herding communities are particularly vulnerable to these and other settlement activities. This year and last, OCHA has documented the displacement of at least 399 people from settler violence, from seven Palestinian herding communities across the occupied Palestinian territory. Three of these communities are now completely empty.

"The reason for the herders leaving, what they cite most often, is settler activities, including violence and settlement expansion, which results in the loss of their access to grazing land.

"Other reasons include the threat of demolition of their homes and other property by the Israeli authorities.

"Many communities across the West Bank are at risk of forcible transfer due to a coercive environment that includes the demolitions, 
settler activities and other practices.

"For the record: Israeli settlements are illegal under international law. They deepen humanitarian needs due to their impact on people's livelihoods, food security and access to essential services."