UN vows to hold Israel accountable for previous commitments on Palestinians

By Firdevs Bulut Kartal

TORONTO (AA) - The UN is "aware" of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rhetoric on Palestinians and will hold Tel Aviv accountable to its prior commitments, said a spokesman on Monday.

"Our reaction is that we will hold the parties to their commitments and make sure that we continue in line with the Oslo Accords and the resolutions of the Security Council to pursue a vision of a two-state solution that includes the states of Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security," said Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters.

Earlier, Netanyahu said Israel "needs to eliminate Palestine's aspirations for a state".

The UN spokesman added that the UN will "judge the parties by their actions and will continue to hold to the parties to their previously stated commitments".

- Shocking increase in the settler violence

The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lynn Hastings, said over the weekend that “there’s been a shocking increase of settler violence incidents in the occupied West Bank.”

On average, there had been two similar incidents recorded daily in 2022.

However, three incidents have been recorded per day this year, and “in a three-day period last week alone, there were 21 recorded settler attacks against Palestinians and their property, leaving 115 people injured,” said Hastings.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights recorded at least 21 civilians dead and over 51 injured.

“Accountability is needed for the attacks to stop,” she added.

Estimates indicate about 700,000 Israeli settlers live in 164 settlements and 116 outposts in the occupied West Bank.

Under international law, all Jewish settlements in the occupied territories are considered illegal.

Palestine and Israel suspended negotiations in April 2014 due to Israel’s rejection of conditions for releasing former detainees, the cessation of illegal settlement activities, and establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders.