UN: West Bank Violence Could Spiral 'Out of Control'
UN human rights chief Volker Türk warned that violence in the West Bank "risks spiraling out of control" due to "strident political rhetoric" and Israel's use of "advanced military weaponry," referring to a raid in the Jenin refugee camp earlier this week that killed at least seven Palestinians.
Facts
- On Friday, UN human rights chief Volker Türk warned that violence in the West Bank "risks spiraling out of control" due to "strident political rhetoric" and Israel's use of "advanced military weaponry," referring to a raid in the Jenin refugee camp earlier this week that killed at least seven Palestinians, including children.1
- Türk said Monday's raid, which also injured 91 Palestinians and seven Israeli soldiers, included the use of airstrikes, claiming that it resembled armed hostilities more than a law enforcement operation.2
- Israeli forces entered the refugee camp to arrest two suspects but later used helicopter gunships to fire down on the site. As Palestinian gunmen killed four Israeli settlers a day later, Türk said the situation would only "drive Israelis and Palestinians deeper into an abyss."3
- There were also reports of an Israeli drone strike Thursday on the house of Palestinian prisoner Kamal Jouri and subsequent clashes between Palestinian youth and Israeli soldiers, after which residents of Jenin carried out a general strike to protest the killing of the three Palestinians killed by the drone.4
- The situation in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza has deteriorated over the last year. After a 17-year high of 155 Palestinian deaths last year, so far this year, the UN has recorded the killing of 126 Palestinians in the West Bank as well as 24 Israelis and one foreigner.5
Sources: 1Jerusalem Post, 2OHCHR, 3Al Jazeera, 4Palestine Chronicle, and 5Reuters.
Narratives
- Pro-Palestine, as provided by Time. Not only has the Israeli military ramped up its state-sanctioned strikes on the occupied territory, but violent rampages by Israeli settlers have also surged in recent months. To make things worse, PM Benjamin Netanyahu's government this week announced the expansion of 1K more illegal settlement units in the West Bank. Israel has stripped Palestine of any semblance of safety and autonomy.
- Pro-Israel, as provided by Jerusalem Post. Israel’s raids in the West Bank are meant to stop terrorist plots, and everything possible is done to mitigate harm. In the context of the Jenin operation, Israeli forces acted professionally to apprehend terror suspects in a region of the West Bank that is a hotbed of terrorist activity. The UN has consistently demonstrated its anti-Israel bias and shouldn't be taken seriously.
