Amnesty International said that Israel unleashed a brutal wave of violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, carrying out unlawful killings.
A report by the organization – issued today – concluded what it described as a shocking increase in the use of unlawful lethal force by Israeli forces against Palestinians in the West Bank.
The report added that with the world’s attention focused on Gaza, Israel carried out unlawful killings, including through the unnecessary or disproportionate use of lethal force during protests, raids and arrests, and deprived the wounded of medical assistance.
The organization investigated 4 prominent cases in which Israeli forces used unlawful lethal force, 3 of which occurred in October and the fourth in November, resulting in the killing of 20 Palestinians, including 7 children.
Amnesty International’s research also found that Israeli forces obstructed the provision of medical assistance to people with life-threatening injuries, and attacked those who attempted to help wounded Palestinians, including medics.
Over the past few months, Israel has escalated deadly raids across the West Bank, and tensions have escalated dramatically.
She noted that Israel has a well-documented record of using excessive and often lethal force to crush dissent and impose an apartheid regime against Palestinians, leading to a historical pattern of unlawful killings committed with impunity.
At least 507 Palestinians were martyred in the West Bank in 2023, including at least 81 children, making it the bloodiest year for Palestinians since the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs began recording casualties in 2005.
