BRIEFING NOTES: (1) West Bank; (2) Ukraine

Spokespeople for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Thameen Al-Kheetan and Liz Throssell

Location: Geneva

Date: 15 July 2025

Subjects:        West Bank (Thameen Al-Kheetan)

                        Ukraine (Liz Throssell)

(1) Occupied West Bank

Israeli settlers and security forces have intensified their killings, attacks and harassment of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in the past weeks. This includes the demolition of hundreds of homes and forced mass displacement of Palestinians, contributing to the ongoing consolidation of annexation of West Bank territory by Israel, in violation of international law.

Since the launch of Israel’s operation “Iron Wall” in the north of the occupied West Bank earlier this year, about 30,000 Palestinians remain forcibly displaced. Israeli forces have shot live ammunition at unarmed Palestinians, including those attempting to go back to their homes in the refugee camps of Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams.

Israeli security forces have often used unnecessary or disproportionate force, including lethal force against Palestinians who did not pose an imminent threat to life. The youngest victim, two-year-old Laila Khatib, was shot in the head by Israeli security forces on 25 January while she was inside her house in Ash-Shuhada village, in Jenin. On 3 July, 61-year-old Walid Badir was shot and killed by Israeli security forces, reportedly while he was cycling back home from prayers, passing through the outskirts of the Nur Shams camp.

Laila and Walid are among at least 964 Palestinians killed since 7 October 2023 by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Also, since 7 October 2023, 53 Israelis have been killed in reported attacks by Palestinians or in armed clashes, 35 in the West Bank and 18 in Israel.

In June, the UN recorded the highest monthly injury toll of Palestinians in over two decades. In all, 96 Palestinians were injured by Israeli settlers. During the first half of 2025, there have been 757 settler attacks that resulted in Palestinian casualties or property damage – a 13 per cent increase on the same period in 2024.

Since the start of operation “Iron Wall”, Israeli security forces have issued demolition orders for about 1,400 homes in the north of the occupied West Bank. These large-scale demolitions, if not rendered absolutely necessary by military operations, violate Israel’s obligations as the occupying power.

In addition, Israeli demolitions have displaced 2,907 Palestinians across the West Bank since 7 October 2023. In the same period, a further 2,400 Palestinians, nearly half of them children, have been forcibly displaced as a result of the actions of Israeli settlers thus emptying large parts of the West Bank of Palestinians.

Permanently displacing the civilian population within occupied territory amounts to unlawful transfer, a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and, depending on the circumstances, may also amount to a crime against humanity.

Israel must immediately stop these killings, harassment and home demolitions across the occupied Palestinian territory. As the occupying power, Israel must take all feasible measures to ensure public order and safety in the West Bank. It is under the obligation to protect Palestinians from settler attacks and to end the unlawful use of force by its security forces. There must be thorough, independent and transparent investigations into all killings and all other alleged violations of international law. Those responsible must be held to account.

In line with the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, Israel must bring to an end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory.

(2) Ukraine 

According to our latest information, so far this month at least 139 civilians have reportedly been killed and 791 injured in Ukraine amid intense and successive waves of missile and drone strikes launched by the Russian Federation.

In an overnight attack on 12 July, Russian armed forces reportedly deployed 597 Shahed loitering munitions and decoy drones, and 26 missiles. Two civilians were killed and 41 reportedly injured. Damage to civilian infrastructure was reported across several regions, including Chernivtsi, Lviv, Cherkasy, Volyn and Kirovohrad, far away from the frontline.

On 9 July alone, Russian armed forces launched a record number of long-range drones against Ukraine – 728.

July has brought no respite for civilians in Ukraine, after June which, according to our monitoring in Ukraine, saw the highest monthly number of civilian deaths and injuries in three years – with 232 people killed and 1,343 injured.

The devastating physical and psychological impact on civilians of repeated attacks on their areas of residence - in this and other conflicts - cannot be captured by numbers alone. People are having to spend hours sheltering, including in basements, corridors and available refuges such metro stations. Children, older people and people with disabilities are especially vulnerable to the prolonged stress and disruption of sleep, and, in some cases, are unable to get to shelter. 

Intense and sustained attacks using explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated areas are likely to have indiscriminate impacts and as such raise serious concerns as to their compliance with international humanitarian law.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk reiterates that an immediate ceasefire is needed now to end this unbearable suffering.

The Russian Federation’s full-scale armed attack on Ukraine must urgently be halted and work on a lasting peace, in line with international law must intensify - a peace that ensures accountability for gross violations of international human rights law and serious violations of international humanitarian law. 

The High Commissioner also highlights that it is vital that any negotiations focus on a coordinated push – as immediate steps - to end attacks that affect civilians, protect the rights of people in occupied territory, return forcibly transferred or deported children, establish humanitarian corridors across the line of control, and end the torture and ill treatment of prisoners of war and other detainees. He urges the Russian Federation and Ukraine to commit to a full exchange of prisoners of war. Resolving the fate of civilian detainees also needs to remain high on the agenda.

Since early June, colleagues in Ukraine have interviewed nearly 140 Ukrainian prisoners of war, all men, released during recently agreed exchanges. Many had endured up to three years in captivity, and nearly all reported being tortured or ill-treated, including severe beatings, electric shock and sexual violence. These findings confirm patterns we have previously established of widespread and systematic torture. 

We also continue to interview Russian POWs held by Ukraine, documenting the use of unofficial places of detention and torture and ill-treatment in the early stages of captivity. We note that the Ukrainian authorities have launched investigations into several of these allegations, and we call on them to ensure that these investigations progress expeditiously, in accordance with international standards.

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