Number of Palestinians killed by Israel in W. Bank, Israel surpasses 2022 death toll

The number of Palestinians killed in the occupied West Bank and Israel by Israeli forces this year has surpassed the death toll of Palestinians for the whole of 2022, the UN’s humanitarian agency said in a report on Friday.

Israeli forces killed 13 Palestinians in the West Bank between 25 July and 10 August, bringing this year’s death toll of Palestinians in the West Bank and Israel to 167. This surpasses last year’s figure of 155, which was the highest number of fatalities in the West Bank since 2005.

Among those killed are several children.

A Palestinian man was also killed during a settler attack on the village on Burqa on 4 August, bringing the number of Palestinians killed by settlers to seven, OCHA added.

In the period covered by the report — 25 July - 7 August — 276 Palestinians, including at least 60 children, were injured boy Israeli forces. Settlers injured six Palestinians, including one child in the West Bank.

Since the beginning of the year, 683 Palestinians have been injured by live ammunition fired by Israeli forces in the West Bank, which is more than double the equivalent period in 2022, according to OCHA.

OCHA added that Israeli forces have demolished, confiscated or forced residents to demolish at least 56 structures in East Jerusalem and Area C of the West Bank.

Israel has occupied the West Bank since the 1967 Six-Day War and its forces regularly conduct armed incursions into areas of the territory which are nominally under the control of the Palestinian Authority.

Excluding annexed east Jerusalem, the territory is home to nearly three million Palestinians and around 490,000 Israelis who live in settlements considered illegal under international law.