UN rights chief calls for end to Israel’s ‘unnecessary, disproportionate use of force’ in Hebron

The UN human rights chief on Monday called for an 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, Volker Turk 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.

“This is unacceptable,” he stressed.

Turk 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.

“Collective punishment is a grave violation of international law,” he said.

He further warned that threats to empty and erase entire neighborhoods raised “serious concerns of ethnic cleansing.”