RAMALLAH, October 22, 2025 (WAFA) – The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) warned on Wednesday that the West Bank is witnessing a dangerous escalation in Israeli colonist violence and settlement expansion, leading to the forced displacement of Palestinians and paving the way for de facto annexation of the territory.
UNRWA Director of Affairs in the West Bank, Roland Friedrich, stated in a post on X that the escalation in colonist violence and settlement expansion "has pushed vulnerable Palestinian communities to leave their lands under increasingly coercive circumstances."
He stressed that "the escalation in Israeli colonist violence, the expansion of settlements, and the destruction and evictions, which have led to the forced displacement of Palestinians, paves the way for further annexation."
Frederick added that "destruction and forced displacement continue in the northern West Bank, pointing to the evacuation of refugee camps in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams, and the prevention of their residents from returning to them, following a large-scale military operation launched by the Israeli army in the area on January 21."
He added that "Israeli laws against UNRWA have led to the closure of UN schools and the de facto expulsion of international staff," referring to the increasing restrictions imposed on the agency's activities in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Frederick continued, warning that "the easing of pressure in Gaza (under the ceasefire agreement) must not become an opportunity to tighten the occupation's grip elsewhere," emphasizing that "UNRWA has remained on the ground despite all the difficulties to continue its work and provide its services during this escalation, as it has done in previous crises."
The UN official emphasized that "the future of Gaza and the West Bank is one," noting that the agency "is ready to work with all parties to ensure a comprehensive outcome that can serve as a cornerstone for peace and stability throughout the occupied Palestinian territory, for the region, and for future generations."
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