Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting on Friday, December 29, to discuss the escalating situation in the West Bank.
In a statement on X, on Thursday, December 28, UAE spokesperson Shahad Matar wrote, “UAE has called for an urgent UNSC meeting tomorrow [Friday] on the rapidly escalating situation in the West Bank and its impact on the viability of the two-state solution.”
Matar added, “Extremist settler violence and reports of Israeli raids put a political horizon for Israel & Palestine at severe risk.”
According to a report issued by UN agency for Palestinian refugees on Thursday, this year “has been the deadliest year for Palestinians in the West Bank since the UN began recording casualties in 2005″.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk has urged for an end to escalations.
“I call on Israel to take immediate, clear and effective steps to put an end to settler violence against the Palestinian population, to investigate all incidents of violence by settlers and Israeli security forces, to ensure effective protection of Palestinian communities against any form of forcible transfer, and to ensure the ability of herding communities displaced due to repeated attacks by armed settlers to return to their lands,” he said in a video message posted on X.
On Thursday, Israeli forces conducted an overnight raid on money exchange shops in the West Bank, allegedly providing funds for armed groups, AFP reported.
Israeli security forces have intensified raids in the West Bank following Hamas’ October 7 attack and the ongoing Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Since October 7, Israeli forces or settlers have killed at least 314 Palestinians in the West Bank.
