NEW YORK, Saturday, August 31, 2024 (WAFA) - The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today condemned the Israeli offensive on the Jenin refugee camp in the northern occupied West Bank.

“The UN Human Rights Office condemns the Israeli security forces (ISF) use of unlawful force during militarized operations in the occupied West Bank and calls for an immediate end to the current attack on Jenin refugee camp,” OHCHR said in a press statement.

“The ongoing ISF operation in Jenin refugee camp and adjacent parts of the city has led apparently to unlawful killings, insecurity for Palestinian residents and enormous destruction of the camp, home to about 11,000 Palestinians,” it added.

It stressed that the Israeli occupation forces’ “use of military weapons and tactics are contributing to an escalation of violence in the Occupied West Bank.”

It recalled that “the International Court of Justice recently held that Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful and called for it to end this unlawful presence as rapidly as possible. In the meantime, Israel is bound by the laws of occupation, which require it to take steps to ensure the security of the Palestinian population in the OPT while complying with the international human rights standards applicable to law enforcement. The use of military weapons and tactics during law enforcement give rise to grave concerns of a systematic disregard for the rights of the Palestinian population and contribute to an escalation in violence and insecurity.”

“The only way to ensure security for Palestinians and Israelis is to end the occupation,” it concluded.

K.F.