A United Nations report published by the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has deplored what it describes as a rapid deterioration of human rights in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. The report details that 300 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since October 7, with most of the killings occurring during operations by Israeli security forces or confrontations with them.

The use of military tactics and weapons in law enforcement contexts, along with mass arbitrary detentions and cases of reported torture and ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees, are extremely troubling, according to the report. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has urged Israeli authorities to take immediate, clear, and effective steps to put an end to settler violence against the Palestinian population, investigate all incidents of violence by settlers and Israeli Security Forces, and ensure the effective protection of Palestinian communities.

The report also highlights the extreme unrest in the West Bank in the months leading up to the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas gunmen, with confrontations escalating even further following Israel's ground invasion of Gaza. The report, which comes amidst rising tensions in the region, underscores the urgent need for the protection and preservation of human rights in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.