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Middle East conflict

UN agency points to record-high number of Israeli settlers-related incidents in West Bank

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs pointed out that some 160,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, had been killed or injured in Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023

© AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean

DUBAI, January 1. /TASS/. A record-high number of incidents related to Israeli settlers was recorded in the West Bank in 2024, Palestine’s WAFA news agency reports, citing the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

According to OCHA, last year saw "the highest number of settler-related incidents across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem." "About 1,400 such incidents - including physical assaults, arson attacks, raids on Palestinian communities and the destruction of fruit trees - have resulted in Palestinian casualties, damage to property, or both," the statement notes.

The agency pointed out that some 160,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, had been killed or injured in Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023. Meanwhile, Israeli troops and settlers stepped up attacks in the West Bank, which killed 835 people and left 6,700 injured.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants staged a surprise attack on Israeli territory from Gaza, killing residents of Israeli border settlements and taking hostages. In response, Israel launched a military operation in the Palestinian enclave to destroy Hamas military and political wings and free all hostages. Hostilities in Gaza continue to this day. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.

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Middle East conflict

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