The United Nations has warned that high levels of expulsion continue in the Israel-occupied West Bank, with more than 900 Palestinians forced from their homes since the beginning of 2026 amid escalating illegal Israeli settler violence and demolitions.
Citing the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Thursday that "high levels of displacement continue since the beginning of 2026, more than 900 Palestinians have been forced out of their homes and communities, mostly due to settler violence and access restrictions followed by demolitions".
"These figures are as of yesterday, and just in two weeks, from January 20 until this Monday, OCHA documented more than 50 Israeli settler attacks that resulted in casualties, property damage, or both," he added.
Dujarric said OCHA is "carrying out preliminary assessments of damage and needs following these incidents to inform humanitarian response by both us and our partners".
He also highlighted the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Israel-besieged Gaza, where loss of life continues.
According to health authorities, "they reported dozens of fatalities and injuries over the previous 24 hours, adding that many people remain inaccessible to emergency teams," he said.
"As a reminder, all parties must fulfil their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure," Dujarric added.
He further stressed the urgency of medical evacuations, saying the World Health Organization and its partners "supported the medical evacuation of at least eight patients and 17 companions from Gaza to Egypt through Rafah", while seven patients and 14 companions had been evacuated earlier.
Dujarric said "more than 18,500 patients in Gaza still require specialised treatment that's unavailable to them locally", reiterating calls to reopen referral routes to the occupied West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.
A silent war
Earlier this week, UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini warned that the occupied West Bank is witnessing a "silent war" defined by record levels of violence.
Lazzarini said tens of thousands of Palestinians remain displaced following Israel's "Iron Wall" incursion, the largest displacement in the territory since 1967, with homes gradually demolished to prevent return.
Israeli army and armed Zionist settlers have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since October 2023, nearly a quarter of them children.
Lazzarini warned that illegal settler attacks continue with impunity, destroying livelihoods and uprooting communities.
While global focus remains on Gaza, he said violations of international humanitarian law in the occupied West Bank have become normalised and must be urgently addressed.
