UN Rapporteur Calls Israeli West Bank Attacks “Pogroms,” Demands Arms Embargo
Albanese Condemns Attacks as Pogroms
UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories Francesca Albanese on Saturday described Israeli attacks against Palestinian civilians across the occupied West Bank as pogroms, calling for an immediate arms embargo and a halt to trade with Israel. Posting on social media, she wrote that pogroms were being carried out against defenseless civilians all over the West Bank while Gaza remained under fire.
Settlers and Army Accused of Joining Forces
Albanese accused Israeli civilians and the army of joining forces in the attacks, arguing that responsibility was not limited to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or a few rotten apples. She called for an arms embargo and an immediate stop to trade, adding that such measures are required under international law.
Military Operation Follows Deadly Attack
The condemnation follows an order by Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz for a wide scale military operation in Palestinian villages across the West Bank. The order came after an attack near the illegal Havat Gilad settlement killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded three others.
Homes Burned, Palestinians Killed in Nablus Area
According to sources and witnesses, Israeli forces and settlers later attacked several Palestinian communities in the Nablus governorate, setting fire to homes and property. Four Palestinians were killed in an attack on the town of Tell, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Israeli forces also arrested nearly fifty Palestinians in the village on Saturday morning while raiding roughly seventy homes.
Escalation Amid Broader Regional Unrest
Israeli human rights groups have also urged the international community to take immediate action against state backed settler violence in the West Bank, which has surged since the war on Gaza began in 2023. Rights monitors have recorded a sharp rise in settler attacks compared with the previous year, with a recent UN inquiry finding that such violence is enabled and supported by the Israeli state.
Sources:
Al Jazeera, Middle East Monitor, Palestine Chronicle, Yahoo News, Haaretz
