An independent international commission of inquiry affiliated with the United Nations said that Palestinian civilians are subjected to “systematic and deliberate” gross violations of human rights law by all parties to the conflict in the region, trapped between Israeli forces and settlers on one side.
According to the committee’s report, settlers assaulted, abducted, and abused Palestinian children while they were engaged in activities such as playing, going to school, or tending to animals and fields. The report stated that the deliberate targeting of children in such circumstances is particularly egregious because it results in direct physical and mental harm, as well as long-term psychological effects, disrupting children’s education, restricting their freedom of movement, and undermining their basic sense of security.
The committee also found that settlers committed or threatened to commit acts of sexual violence against Palestinians with the intent to instill fear and humiliation. It noted that “the harassment and intimidation perpetrated by settlers against Palestinian women and girls severely restricts their daily activities,” preventing their access to public spaces such as schools and workplaces, and reducing their opportunities to escape abuse, such as intimate partner violence.
The committee chair stressed the need for Israel to cease “supporting this violence” and to ensure that its security forces protect the Palestinian civilian population. He said the international community must pressure Israel to fulfill its obligations under international law and take immediate and decisive action to dismantle settlements and outposts, and end settler violence once and for all.
