UN experts report sharp rise in Israeli attacks against Palestinians

UN experts condemned the sharp Israeli escalation in attacks on Palestinian civilians during July, warning of a serious deterioration in human rights. They noted the killing of about 160 Palestinians in Gaza during the month, bringing the total since the ceasefire to over 1,200. They also denounced the killing of 14 Palestinians in the West Bank and settler terrorism that peaked in the town of Tel, and called for immediate implementation of the ICJ advisory opinion.

UN experts condemned the sharp Israeli escalation in attacks on Palestinian civilians across the occupied Palestinian territory during July, warning of a serious deterioration in an already dire human rights situation. In a statement on Monday, the experts said that despite the ceasefire declared since October 2025, Israel killed about 160 Palestinians in Gaza in July alone, raising the number of Palestinians killed in the besieged strip since the so-called ceasefire began to over 1,200, including women, children, the elderly, and others who had sought refuge in tents and areas designated as safer. They added that most killings occurred in densely populated displacement zones, such as Al-Mawasi, away from the so-called 'yellow line', stressing that there is no safe place in Gaza. The experts expressed deep concern over orders to evacuate entire residential neighborhoods before they were destroyed by fighter jets, exacerbating the already dire shelter crisis. They continued that the ongoing westward advance of the so-called 'yellow line', the construction of a 23-kilometer buffer wall along it, and the systematic destruction of residential buildings are forcibly reshaping the geography of Gaza through displacement. The experts condemned attacks on hospitals and shelters, the killing of police officers and UN-contracted staff, assaults on fishermen, kidnappings and violations by militias cooperating with the army, as well as the killing of humanitarian workers, who, by virtue of their work in protecting and promoting fundamental human rights, are human rights defenders. They warned that food aid still cannot enter Gaza freely, while products entering through commercial channels largely consist of ultra-processed foods that do not meet the nutritional needs of the population or suit their dietary habits. The experts added: 'With no access to agricultural land and clean water, and with agricultural supplies cut off, Palestinians are unable to produce enough food to feed themselves,' noting that children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities bear the brunt. They also warned that food insecurity exacerbates gender-based violence and child marriage, and exposes women to increased risks while they seek food daily. In the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem, the experts denounced the killing of at least 14 Palestinians by the occupation during July, most in the last ten days of the month, in addition to deaths from movement restrictions, including the death of a four-month-old infant and the miscarriage of a pregnant woman after ambulances were prevented from reaching through military checkpoints. They said: 'When checkpoints and military gates threaten the lives of infants, pregnant women, and their fetuses, movement restrictions become deadly tools.' The experts expressed particular shock at the escalation of settler terrorism, which peaked on July 24 in the town of Tel, southwest of Nablus, where four Palestinian men from one family were shot dead during clashes involving armed settlers and Israeli soldiers. In the following days, about 80 residents of Tel were arrested, and more than 20 attacks were recorded across the West Bank in a single weekend, during which mosques, homes, and farms were burned, water infrastructure destroyed, and entire communities forcibly displaced. The experts said: 'Settler terrorism is not spontaneous but is carried out under the protection of the occupation forces, often with their participation, alongside unprecedented colonial expansion, large-scale demolitions, land seizures, and prolonged closures of refugee camps, all supported and encouraged by members of the Israeli government.' The experts noted that the International Court of Justice, in its advisory opinion of July 19, 2024, concluded that Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and called for its earliest possible end. The Court also considered Israel's settlement policy to violate international law. They added: 'Two years later, instead of compelling Israel to comply, it has been allowed to accelerate the very policies the Court found unlawful.' The experts called for immediate implementation of the ICJ advisory opinion and its orders on provisional measures, particularly halting attacks on civilians, respecting the ceasefire, ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access, ensuring accountability, and urging other states to take concrete steps to ensure respect for international humanitarian law and international human rights law.