The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has raised alarms about the mass displacement of farmers in the West Bank due to ongoing attacks by Israeli settlers, which have resulted in the displacement of nearly 2,000 Palestinians since 2022, with 43% of these displacements occurring since October 7, 2023.
According to the United Nations Media Center, West Bank farmers were forced to dismantle approximately 50 buildings and evacuate the area with their livestock, numbering around five thousand heads. The UN has previously documented settler attacks on these farmers, with the latest incidents recorded on October 12, 21, and 26. Consequently, about two-thirds of the pastoral community families have now been displaced.
The UN noted that at least 98 families, comprising 828 individuals including 313 children, from 15 pastoral communities across the West Bank have been displaced amidst settler violence or increased movement restrictions since only October 7. The violence from Israeli settlers has notably escalated, with the daily average reaching 7 incidents, more than doubling the already high average of 3 daily incidents in 2023.
OCHA highlighted that settlers also imposed movement restrictions, blocking roads leading to Palestinian communities, thereby limiting Palestinians’ access to essential services and livelihoods. In some instances, settlers also damaged water resources relied upon by pastoral communities, depriving them of this basic necessity. Palestinian pastoral communities heavily depend on humanitarian aid, including health and educational services, which have been severely impacted since the tightening of restrictions, leading to the cessation of many services.
