UN Security Council meets to discuss West Bank violence

The United Nations Security Council held a session on Tuesday to discuss ongoing developments in the Middle East and the situation in Palestine. The meeting was requested by five European member states to address escalating violence in the occupied West Bank.

Ramiz Akbarov, the Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and UN Resident Coordinator, warned that the situation in the West Bank has reached a “dangerous turning point.” He cited rising violence, displacement, and accelerated Israeli settlement activities as primary drivers of the crisis. Akbarov noted that these developments are undermining the prospects for a viable, sovereign Palestinian state and pushing the Palestinian Authority toward collapse.

According to UN data, Israeli forces and settlers killed 76 Palestinians in the West Bank through August 10, including 18 children. Since January 2023, 127 Palestinian communities have faced partial or total displacement, affecting over 6,390 people. In 2026 alone, approximately 3,800 Palestinians, nearly half of whom are children, have been displaced due to settler violence and demolitions. Akbarov highlighted that settler violence has reached “unprecedented levels,” with over 1,430 documented incidents this year resulting in casualties or property damage.