Situation in occupied West Bank ‘simply out of control,’ UN chief says

The situation across the occupied West Bank has deteriorated beyond control as escalating attacks seek to drive Palestinian communities from their land, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned on Thursday.

“In the occupied West Bank, Palestinians continue to suffer daily attacks by Israeli settlers. The clear goal is to drive communities off their land,” Guterres told reporters.

He said the situation in the occupied territories is “simply out of control” as occupiers also target journalists and diplomats.

On Gaza, the UN chief pointed out that essential humanitarian assistance remains “severely restricted” ahead of winter, compounding obstacles facing the Security Council-backed roadmap to resolve the conflict.

Guterres stressed that the World Food Program “urgently” requires $450 million to feed populations across Gaza and the West Bank over the next six months, noting that the sum equals approximately 90 minutes of global military expenditures. He appealed to international donors to step up while urging an end to the occupation to achieve a viable two-state solution.