UN human rights office warns of escalating Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank

On July 29, 2026, the UN human rights office warned of escalating Israeli settler violence in the occupied West Bank, urging international action as settlements reach an all-time high. UN figures show 18 Palestinians have died in settler-related incidents in 2026, surpassing 2025's total. Tensions remain high following Israel's approval of 1.3 billion shekels ($434 million) for 34 new settlements, which Palestinians and international bodies view as illegal.

Settler violence in West Bank

• ▪On July 24, 2026, four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers were killed when a crowd of Israeli settlers approached the Palestinian village of Tal.
• ▪Israeli settlers and security forces, often acting together, have attacked local communities, assaulted families, destroyed and confiscated property, and burned mosques in the West Bank.

Palestinian casualties from settlers

• ▪The Palestinian Authority states that at least 20 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli settlers in the West Bank since the start of 2026.
• ▪According to United Nations figures, 18 Palestinians have been killed in incidents linked to settler attacks in the West Bank so far in 2026, compared with 17 in the whole of 2025.

UN human rights office warning

• ▪The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights warned on July 29, 2026, of worsening violence by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank and urged international action.
• ▪The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights stated on July 29, 2026, that Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank have reached an all-time high.

ICJ ruling on Israeli occupation

• ▪The International Court of Justice ruled in July 2024 that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory and settlements there were illegal and should be withdrawn.
• ▪Israel rejected the July 2024 International Court of Justice ruling as fundamentally wrong and one-sided.

Israeli settlement expansion approval

• ▪In July 2026, Israel's security cabinet approved 1.3 billion shekels ($434 million) to establish 34 new settlements in the West Bank.
• ▪Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who advocates for the full annexation of the West Bank, called the approval of 34 new settlements historic.

Violence surge since Gaza war

• ▪Approximately 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
• ▪Violence in the West Bank has surged since the start of the Gaza war in October 2023, with a sharp rise in settler attacks.