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The United Nations has warned that decades-long discrimination against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank is intensifying and described the situation as resembling an “apartheid system”.
In a new report released on Wednesday, the UN human rights office said “systematic discrimination” against Palestinians has sharply deteriorated in recent years.
UN rights chief Volker Turk said Palestinians face what he called a “systematic asphyxiation” of their rights, with daily life tightly controlled by Israeli laws and policies.
“Whether accessing water, school, rushing to hospital, visiting family or harvesting olives, every aspect of life is restricted,” Turk said, calling it a severe form of racial discrimination and segregation.
Israel rejected the report, calling the accusations “absurd and distorted” and accusing the UN rights office of political bias.
The report said Israeli authorities apply two different legal systems in the West Bank, one for settlers and another for Palestinians leading to deep inequality.
It added that Palestinians continue to face land confiscation, loss of resources, home demolitions and prosecution in military courts where fair trial rights are often violated.
The UN also warned that settler violence has risen sharply, often with the acquiescence or support of Israeli security forces.
More than 500,000 Israelis live in West Bank settlements, which are considered illegal under international law.
Since the start of the Gaza war, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank according to Palestinian figures.
The report also highlighted what it called “almost complete impunity” for unlawful killings and abuses.
The UN urged Israel to end its occupation, dismantle settlements and respect the Palestinian right to self-determination, warning that the current system violates international conventions banning racial segregation and apartheid.
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