UN inquiry report on West Bank settler violence

A report by the UN Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory claims Israeli authorities facilitate settler attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank through financial and military support. The commission asserts that Israeli security forces frequently act as shields for settlers, noting a 130% increase in attacks on Palestinian villages and agricultural land since 2023. According to the report, these actions occur within a system of impunity, while it also states that Hamas has committed war crimes against both Israelis and Palestinians. The Israeli government rejects these accusations, maintaining that any such incidents involving soldiers are rogue actions that violate military protocol and undergo investigation. However, various rights groups argue that these internal investigations rarely result in disciplinary actions or prosecutions. The report highlights that at least seven Palestinians were killed and 832 injured in such violence last year, with incidents continuing into 2026. The settlements, home to hundreds of thousands of Israelis, are widely considered a violation of international law, a position recently supported by the UN's top court, though Israel disputes this based on historical and biblical claims.