Latest news with #Kheetan
Daily Tribune
3 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Tribune
West Bank seeing largest displacement since 1967: UN
The UN warned yesterday that mass displacement in the West Bank had hit levels not seen since the start of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territory nearly 60 years ago. The United Nations said an Israeli military operation launched in the north of the occupied territory in January had displaced tens of thousands of people, raising concerns about possible "ethnic cleansing". The military operation "has been the longest since ... the second Intifada", in the early 2000s, said Juliette Touma, spokeswoman for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. "It is impacting several refugee camps in the area, and it is causing the largest population displacement of the Palestinians in the West Bank since 1967," she told reporters in Geneva via video from Jordan, referring to the sixday Arab-Israeli war that led to Israel's occupation of the West Bank. The UN rights office meanwhile warned that mass forced displacement by an occupation force could amount to "ethnic cleansing". Since Israel's military launched its operation "Iron Wall" in the north of the West Bank in January, rights office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan said that "about 30,000 Palestinians remain forcibly displaced". Israeli security forces had during the same period issued demolition orders for about 1,400homes in the northern West Bank,he said, describing the figures as"alarming". He pointed out that Israelidemolitions had displaced 2,907Palestinians across the West Banksince October 2023. Another 2,400 Palestinians --nearly half of them children --had been displaced as a result ofIsraeli settler actions, he added,lamenting that the combined result was the "emptying large partsof the West Bank of Palestinians". "Permanently displacing thecivilian population within occupied territory amounts to unlawful transfer," Kheetan said,stressing that depending on thecircumstances this could be "tantamount to ethnic cleansing" andcould "amount to a crime againsthumanity". Kheetan said 757 attacks by Israeli settlers had been recordedin the West Bank during the firsthalf of the year, a 13% increase onthe same period in 2024. The attacks injured 96 Palestinians in the occupied territoryin June alone, he told reporters,stressing that this was the highestmonthly injury toll of Palestiniansfrom settler attacks, "in over twodecades". Violence in the West Bank hassurged since the October 2023attack on Israel by Palestinianmilitant group Hamas triggeredwar in the Gaza Strip. Since then, at least 964 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank, including EastJerusalem, according to the UN. During that same period, 53Israelis have been killed in reported attacks by Palestinians orin armed clashes -- 35 of them inthe West Bank and 18 in Israel.
The Journal
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Journal
West Bank seeing largest displacement of Palestinians since 1967, UN says
THE UNITED NATIONS has warned that mass displacement in the West Bank had hit levels not seen since the start of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territory nearly 60 years ago. The UN said an Israeli military operation launched in the north of the occupied territory in January had displaced tens of thousands of people, raising concerns about possible 'ethnic cleansing'. The military operation 'has been the longest since … the second Intifada', in the early 2000s, said Juliette Touma, spokeswoman for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. 'It is impacting several refugee camps in the area, and it is causing the largest population displacement of the Palestinians in the West Bank since 1967,' she told reporters in Geneva via video from Jordan, referring to the six-day Arab-Israeli war that led to Israel's occupation of the West Bank. The UN rights office meanwhile warned that mass forced displacement by an occupation force could amount to 'ethnic cleansing'. Since Israel's military launched its operation 'Iron Wall' in the north of the West Bank in January, rights office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan said that 'about 30,000 Palestinians remain forcibly displaced'. Israeli security forces had during the same period issued demolition orders for about 1,400 homes in the northern West Bank, he said, describing the figures as 'alarming'. He pointed out that Israeli demolitions had displaced 2,907 Palestinians across the West Bank since October 2023. Another 2,400 Palestinians – nearly half of them children – had been displaced as a result of Israeli settler actions, he added, lamenting that the combined result was the 'emptying large parts of the West Bank of Palestinians'. 'Permanently displacing the civilian population within occupied territory amounts to unlawful transfer,' Kheetan said, stressing that depending on the circumstances this could be 'tantamount to ethnic cleansing' and could 'amount to a crime against humanity'. Kheetan said 757 attacks by Israeli settlers had been recorded in the West Bank during the first half of the year, a 13% increase on the same period in 2024. Advertisement The attacks injured 96 Palestinians in the occupied territory in June alone, he told reporters, stressing that this was the highest monthly injury toll of Palestinians from settler attacks, 'in over two decades'. Violence in the West Bank has surged since the October 2023 attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas triggered war in the Gaza Strip. Since then, at least 964 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, according to the UN. During that same period, 53 Israelis have been killed in reported attacks by Palestinians or in armed clashes – 35 of them in the West Bank and 18 in Israel. Gaza Meanwhile, Gaza's civil defence agency said Israeli forces killed at least 18 people today, including two women who were shot near an aid distribution point in the war-ravaged Palestinian territory. The ongoing conflict has created dire humanitarian conditions for Gaza's population of more than two million, displacing most residents at least once and triggering severe shortages of food and other essentials. The civil defence agency told AFP that its 'crews have transported at least 18 martyrs and dozens of wounded since dawn', most of them following Israeli air strikes on the northern Gaza Strip. One strike hit a tent in Gaza City housing displaced Palestinians, killing six people, according to the civil defence agency. In the southern area of Rafah, two women were killed by Israeli fire near an aid distribution point, the agency said, adding that 13 people were wounded in the incident. Media restrictions in Gaza and difficulties in accessing many areas mean AFP is unable to independently verify the tolls and details provided by the civil defence agency and other parties. The UN said that at least 875 have died trying to access aid in Gaza since late May – when Israel eased a two-month aid blockade – with most killed near sites run by the US- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. On the outskirts of Gaza City on Tuesday, AFP footage from Al-Shati refugee camp showed Palestinians searching for survivors through the rubble of a family home hit in a strike that the civil defence said killed five people. Jihad Omar, who was using his bare hands to dig through the concrete ruins, said he was looking for two children. Related Reads Fine Gael TD criticises Alan Shatter for comparing Occupied Territories Bill to Father Ted sketch Micheál Martin likens Israel's plans for 'humanitarian city' in Gaza to a 'concentration camp' 'Every day, we bury children, women and elderly people. Homes collapse on the heads of their residents,' the 48-year-old told AFP. 'Find a solution,' he said. 'Let us raise those (children) who remain. We barely have any left.' Meanwhile, Hamas announced the Israeli 'assassination' of a member of its political leadership, Muhammad Faraj al-Ghoul, who once served as a minister in the group's Gaza government. Contacted by AFP, the Israeli military its forces had targeted 'several Hamas members in the Al-Shati area', without offering further details. It did not comment on the other strikes reported by the civil defence agency, but said in a statement that troops had 'dismantled a terrorist tunnel' in the Khan Younis area, in southern Gaza. Hamas's 7 October 2023 attack resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures. Out of 251 hostages taken by Palestinian militants that day, 49 are still being held in Gaza, including 27 the Israeli military says are dead. Israel's retaliatory offensive, now in its 22nd month, has killed at least 58,479 Palestinians, mostly civilians, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The UN considers the ministry's figures reliable. © AFP 2025
Middle East Eye
5 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Largest displacement since 1967 taking place in occupied West Bank, says UN
The UN has warned that mass displacement in the occupied West Bank had hit levels not seen since the start of Israel's occupation of the territory nearly 60 years ago. It said an Israeli military operation launched in the north of the occupied West Bank in January had forcibly displaced tens of thousands of people, raising concerns of ethnic cleansing. The military operation "has been the longest since... the second Intifada", in the early 2000s, said Juliette Touma, spokesperson for Unrwa, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. "It is impacting several refugee camps in the area, and it is causing the largest population displacement of the Palestinians in the West Bank since 1967," she told reporters. The UN human rights office meanwhile warned that mass forced displacement by an occupation force could amount to ethnic cleansing. Since the Israeli military launched its operation in January, dubbed "Iron Wall", rights office spokesperson Thameen al-Kheetan said that "about 30,000 Palestinians remain forcibly displaced" had been displaced from the northern West Bank. Israeli security forces had during the same period issued demolition orders for about 1,400 homes in the northern West Bank, he said, describing the figures as "alarming". He pointed out that Israeli demolitions had displaced 2,907 Palestinians across the West Bank since October 2023. Another 2,400 Palestinians - nearly half of them children - had been displaced as a result of Israeli settler actions, he added, stating that the combined result was "emptying large parts of the West Bank of Palestinians". "Permanently displacing the civilian population within occupied territory amounts to unlawful transfer," Kheetan said. Kheetan said 757 attacks by Israeli settlers had been recorded in the West Bank during the first half of the year, a 13 percent increase on the same period last year. The attacks injured 96 Palestinians in June alone, he told reporters, adding that this was the highest monthly injury toll of Palestinians from Israeli settler attacks in over two decades. Since October 2023, at least 964 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, according to the UN. During that same period, 53 Israelis have been killed in reported attacks by Palestinians or in armed confrontations - 35 of them in the West Bank and 18 in Israel. Reporting by AFP
The Hindu
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
West Bank seeing largest displacement since 1967: U.N.
The U.N. warned on Tuesday (July 15, 2025) that mass displacement in the West Bank had hit levels not seen since the start of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territory nearly 60 years ago. The United Nations said an Israeli military operation launched in the north of the occupied territory in January had displaced tens of thousands of people, raising concerns about possible "ethnic cleansing". The military operation "has been the longest since ... the second Intifada", in the early 2000s, said Juliette Touma, spokeswoman for the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. "It is impacting several refugee camps in the area, and it is causing the largest population displacement of the Palestinians in the West Bank since 1967," she told reporters in Geneva via video from Jordan, referring to the six-day Arab-Israeli war that led to Israel's occupation of the West Bank. The U.N. rights office meanwhile warned that mass forced displacement by an occupation force could amount to "ethnic cleansing". Since Israel's military launched its operation "Iron Wall" in the north of the West Bank in January, rights office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan said that "about 30,000 Palestinians remain forcibly displaced". Israeli security forces had during the same period issued demolition orders for about 1,400 homes in the northern West Bank, he said, describing the figures as "alarming". He pointed out that Israeli demolitions had displaced 2,907 Palestinians across the West Bank since October 2023. Another 2,400 Palestinians — nearly half of them children — had been displaced as a result of Israeli settler actions, he added, lamenting that the combined result was the "emptying large parts of the West Bank of Palestinians". "Permanently displacing the civilian population within occupied territory amounts to unlawful transfer," Mr. Kheetan said, stressing that depending on the circumstances this could be "tantamount to ethnic cleansing" and could "amount to a crime against humanity". Mr. Kheetan said 757 attacks by Israeli settlers had been recorded in the West Bank during the first half of the year, a 13 percent increase on the same period in 2024. The attacks injured 96 Palestinians in the occupied territory in June alone, he told reporters, stressing that this was the highest monthly injury toll of Palestinians from settler attacks, "in over two decades". Violence in the West Bank has surged since the October 2023 attack on Israel by Palestinian militant group Hamas triggered war in the Gaza Strip. Since then, at least 964 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, according to the U.N. During that same period, 53 Israelis have been killed in reported attacks by Palestinians or in armed clashes -- 35 of them in the West Bank and 18 in Israel.
Al-Ahram Weekly
5 days ago
- Politics
- Al-Ahram Weekly
West Bank seeing largest displacement since 1967: UN - War on Gaza
The UN warned Tuesday that mass displacement in the West Bank had hit levels not seen since the start of Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territory nearly 60 years ago. The United Nations said an Israeli military operation launched in the north of the occupied territory in January had displaced tens of thousands of people, raising concerns about possible "ethnic cleansing". The military operation "has been the longest since ... the second Intifada", in the early 2000s, said Juliette Touma, spokeswoman for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. "It is impacting several refugee camps in the area, and it is causing the largest population displacement of the Palestinians in the West Bank since 1967," she told reporters in Geneva via video from Jordan, referring to the six-day Arab-Israeli war that led to Israel's occupation of the West Bank. The UN rights office, meanwhile, warned that mass forced displacement by an occupation force could amount to "ethnic cleansing". Since Israel's military launched its operation "Iron Wall" in the north of the West Bank in January, rights office spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan said that "about 30,000 Palestinians remain forcibly displaced". Israeli security forces had during the same period issued demolition orders for about 1,400 homes in the northern West Bank, he said, describing the figures as "alarming". He pointed out that Israeli demolitions had displaced 2,907 Palestinians across the West Bank since October 2023. Another 2,400 Palestinians -- nearly half of them children -- had been displaced as a result of Israeli settler actions, he added, lamenting that the combined result was the "emptying large parts of the West Bank of Palestinians". "Permanently displacing the civilian population within occupied territory amounts to unlawful transfer," Kheetan said, stressing that depending on the circumstances, this could be "tantamount to ethnic cleansing" and could "amount to a crime against humanity". Kheetan said 757 attacks by Israeli settlers had been recorded in the West Bank during the first half of the year, a 13 per cent increase on the same period in 2024. The attacks injured 96 Palestinians in the occupied territory in June alone, he told reporters, stressing that this was the highest monthly injury toll of Palestinians from settler attacks, "in over two decades". Violence in the West Bank has surged since October 2023. Since then, at least 964 Palestinians have been killed in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, according to the UN. During that same period, 53 Israelis have been killed in reported attacks by Palestinians or in armed clashes -- 35 of them in the West Bank and 18 in Israel. Follow us on: Facebook Instagram Whatsapp Short link:
