Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission: 12161 attacks by Israeli occupation and settlers on the West Bank in 2023

Occupied Al-Quds (ST) – The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission stated that the Israeli occupation forces and settlers carried out 12161 attacks on the Palestinians in the occupied West Bank during the past year, 5308 of which were launched after the occupation began its aggression on Gaza Strip on the 7th of last October.

Wafa News Agency quoted the head of the Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission Moayad Sha’aban as saying that the occupation forces carried out 9751 attacks in the occupied West Bank, while settlers carried out 2410 attacks, 206 of which were protected by the occupation forces.

Sha’aban indicated that the settlers’ attacks were concentrated in Nablus with 842 attacks, Ramallah with 419, Al-Khalil with 376, Bethlehem with 204, Salfit with 165, and Tubas with 137 attacks.

He noted that the attacks of the Israeli occupation forces and settlers on the cities and towns of the occupied West Bank since the beginning of the aggression on Gaza resulted in the death of 324 Palestinians and the injury of 3800 others, which raises the number of victims of the Israeli attacks during the past year to 524 Palestinians.

Sha’aban stressed that in addition to the genocide in Gaza, the occupation is implementing very dangerous plans in the West Bank, by displacing, killing, and destroying the infrastructure, in addition to escalating racist practices.

He noted that the shameful silence of the countries of the world is what encourages the occupation to continue its crimes.

Sha’aban pointed out that settler terrorism led to the displacement of the people of 25 villages in the West Bank during the past year, as these villages are concentrated in the east of Ramallah and the Jordan Valley and they were home to 1715 Palestinians.

He indicated that the occupation forces demolished last year 659 homes and facilities in the West Bank, causing the displacement of 1,416 Palestinians. The occupation also carried out 385 seizures of Palestinian property, while attacks on trees amounted to 379 attacks, which led to the damage and uprooting of 21731 trees, including 18964 olive trees.

Sha’aban pointed out that the occupation authorities seized more than 50,000 dunums of West Bank land last year, announced plans to establish 18,625 settlement units, and established 18 new settlement outposts.

He stressed that the number of settlers in the settlements established on the lands of Al-Quds and the rest of the areas of the West Bank reached 740,000 at the end of 2023, living in 180 settlements and 194 settlement outposts.

Najla Khoury