UN rights chief slams 'disproportionate' Israeli force in Hebron

Grave Concerns Over Use of Force

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Monday called for an immediate end to Israel's "unnecessary and disproportionate use of force" in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, where more than 2,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced since Friday. In a statement, Türk said the Israeli operation had resulted in the demolition of residential and commercial properties alongside severe restrictions on residents' freedom of movement.

"The sweeping steps taken raise grave concerns of unnecessary and disproportionate use of force – which must end," he said. He warned that the Israeli lockdown had confined many Palestinians to their homes and surrounding neighborhoods, while statements by senior Israeli officials suggested the measures were punitive and intended to instill fear.

Warnings of Collective Punishment

Türk stressed that such actions constitute collective punishment. "Collective punishment is a grave violation of international law," he said, warning that threats to empty and erase entire neighborhoods raised "serious concerns of ethnic cleansing."

The UN rights chief demanded that displaced Palestinians be allowed to return to their homes and called on Israel to provide compensation and reparations for unlawful evictions, demolitions, and resulting displacement. Israeli forces have confined many residents to their homes amid the ongoing lockdown.