More than 200 Palestinians and nearly 30 Israelis have been killed so far this year in the occupied West Bank and Israel–a level of violence surpassing last year’s entire death toll and the highest number of fatalities since 2005, the United Nations Middle East envoy has said.
Tor Wennesland—UN special coordinator for the Middle East peace process—told the UN Security Council on Monday that escalating violence is being fueled by growing despair about the future among Palestinians and a lack of progress toward achieving an independent state.
He pointed to the unabated expansion of illegal Israeli settlements, Israel’s demolition of Palestinian homes, operations by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank areas under Palestinian administrative and police control, and attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian villages.
Wennesland also cited Palestinian “militant activity,” and he said that the current situation is compounded by “the fragility” of the Palestinian Authority’s financial situation as well as severe funding shortages faced by UN agencies including the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees.
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