Geneva: The UN human rights chief cautioned on Friday that the recent uptick in violence in the occupied West Bank might get out of hand.
At least 18 people have been killed in the region this week as a result of Israeli military incursions, Palestinian or Jewish settlers' attacks, or Israeli military incursions. Volker Turk said in a statement that "these most recent killings and violence, along with the inflammatory rhetoric, only serve to drive Israelis and Palestinians deeper into an abyss."
More than 200 people have perished in conflict-related violence so far this year, the vast majority of whom were Palestinians. Israel has intensified military operations in the northern West Bank, a stronghold of Palestinian armed groups, where deadly violence has erupted recently.
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Turk claimed that Israel's increased use of cutting-edge military hardware and vehement political rhetoric were to blame for this week's violence. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights demanded an immediate end to the violence, saying the sudden deterioration was terrible for both Israelis and Palestinians.
According to him, Israeli authorities must make sure that all operations are planned and carried out in a way that avoids using lethal force. Every death that occurs in a situation like this calls for a thorough investigation, he continued.
Turk stated that Israel needed to "urgently reorient its policies and practises in the occupied West Bank in accordance with international human rights standards, including protecting and respecting the right to life."
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Israel is required by international humanitarian law to maintain public safety and order in the occupied Palestinian Territory as the occupying power.
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Turk argued that urgent action was needed to address the underlying causes of violence and the senseless loss of life, which would call for political will on the parts of both Israel and the Palestinian Authority and the international community.
He declared, "The occupation must end for this violence to stop. The political elites, who are aware of this from all angles, must take immediate action to make this realisation.