RAMALLAH, September 30, 2026 (WAFA) — The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said that escalating violence, increasing movement restrictions, and the rapid pace of settlement expansion have severely harmed civilians across the West Bank and made their daily lives increasingly difficult.
In a press release, the ICRC noted that since the beginning of the year, dozens of Palestinians have been killed and hundreds injured, while many have been displaced and homes and properties damaged or destroyed, leaving numerous families without shelter or a livelihood.
Julien Lerisson, head of the ICRC delegation in Israel and the Occupied Territories, said, “The repeated and intense violence must end.”
He added that authorities have a responsibility to protect people from violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers, respect international humanitarian law governing the protection of public and private property, and ensure that residents have access to essential services.
“The humanitarian impact of the violence, including loss of life and serious injuries, is enormous and devastating,” Lerisson said. He noted that movement restrictions prevent patients from reaching healthcare services and children from attending school, isolate people from their homes and livelihoods, and push families and communities into increasingly difficult living conditions.
He said ambulances are sometimes held for hours at checkpoints and roadblocks or forced to take longer routes to avoid road closures and violence. This makes the work of first responders more difficult and puts at risk the lives of those seeking assistance.
Lerisson said Israel, as the occupying power in the West Bank, has responsibilities toward Palestinians, who are protected persons under international humanitarian law, including an obligation to protect them from acts or threats of violence.
He added that upholding international humanitarian law and respecting obligations under the law of occupation are essential steps toward restoring the safety and dignity of the population, including protecting civilians from violence and halting settlement expansion.
The statement reiterated the ICRC’s legal position that Israel’s establishment and expansion of settlements in the West Bank is inconsistent with its obligations under Article 49(6) of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, which prohibits an occupying power from transferring parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies.
Y.S
