The United Nations has called on Israel to end “unlawful killings” and settler violence in the occupied West Bank, warning of a rapidly deteriorating human rights situation amid increased Israeli crackdowns.

In a report released Thursday, the U.N. human rights office described a “sharp increase” in airstrikes and military incursions into densely populated refugee camps, resulting in deaths, injuries and widespread damage to civilian infrastructure in the occupied territories.

“The use of military tactics and weapons in law enforcement contexts, the use of unnecessary or disproportionate force“And the enforcement of sweeping, arbitrary and discriminatory movement restrictions affecting Palestinians is extremely worrying,” U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said in a statement.

Violence across the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem has flared up since the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip began on October 7th. More than 21,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, most of them civilians, after Hamas attacks in southern Israel killed about 1,200 people.

Since then, the United Nations has confirmed the deaths of at least 300 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 79 children, the report said. Of these, 291 were killed by Israeli forces, eight by settlers and one was killed by either soldiers or settlers.

Nearly 4,800 Palestinians have been arrested since the war on Gaza began.

Since October 7, the United Nations has documented a “sharp increase in settler attacks,” including “shootings, burning of homes and vehicles, and uprooting of trees.”

“I call on Israel to take immediate, clear and effective steps to end settler violence against the Palestinian population, to investigate all incidents of violence by settlers and Israeli security forces, and to ensure effective protection of Palestinian communities from any form of violence “Transfer from violence,” Turk said.

“The dehumanization of Palestinians that characterizes many of the settlers’ actions is very disturbing and must stop immediately,” he added in his statement.

Ajith Sunghay, the head of the UN human rights office in the occupied Palestinian territories, told Al Jazeera that a lack of accountability – and in some cases incitement by Israeli officials – has led to a rise in both settler violence and violence committed by Israeli forces West Bank.

“I think this is extremely important to emphasize – where there is impunity, violations will continue to occur,” Sunghay said.

“These statements [from Israeli officials] Encourage settlers and give them a sense of security. It gives them some permission to do what they want to do,” he added.

#AND Report: Türk warns of a rapidly deteriorating human rights situation in the West Bank and calls for an end to the violence.

Read the report here 👉 https://t.co/BGZChZobZg#OPT #WestBank #Jerusalem #ENDViolencehttps://t.co/Zk5NQ5zdEO

— UN Human Rights OPT (@OHCHR_Palestine) December 28, 2023

Unprecedented ideas

The report was released as the Israeli Defense Forces began one of the greatest ideas in the West Bank since the start of the war and launched a coordinated nighttime attack on ten cities, including Ramallah, the administrative headquarters of the Palestinian Authority.

The raids, which continued until early Thursday, targeted Palestinian money exchange points.

A Palestinian was also killed by Israeli forces near a checkpoint west of the city of Bethlehem on Thursday.

Mustafa Barghouti, the secretary general of the Palestinian National Initiative, believes the increasing crackdowns in the West Bank are an attempt by Israel to “completely” reoccupy the territory.

“They are marginalizing the Palestinian Authority and stripping it of all its authorities,” Barghouti told Al Jazeera.

“There is no security control by the Palestinian Authority because the Israeli army invades all cities, all of them.” [of] Area A, which should actually belong to the Palestinian Authority,” he said.

“This is a clear message from [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu. He says there is no longer room for an independent Palestinian Authority here. He is re-occupying the West Bank while trying to re-occupy Gaza.”

Barghouti added that despite Israeli claims that its raids were to combat “terrorism,” the real aim was to “provoke an intifada.” [uprising]“.

“Netanyahu knows full well that if he resigns as prime minister he will go to prison,” he said, referring to the corruption charges on which the Israeli leader is currently on trial. “This man wants to prolong the war in Gaza, expand it, continue it as long as possible.”

Deadliest year for children

Also on Thursday, UNICEF said 2023 would be the deadliest year for children in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, with 124 Palestinian and six Israeli children killed there since the start of the year.

“At least 83 children have been killed in the last 12 weeks – more than double the number of children killed in all of 2022, amid increased military and law enforcement operations,” Adele Khodr, UNICEF regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement .

“More than 576 were injured and more were reportedly arrested.”