A United Nations official has accused Israel of delegating coercive actions to settlers operating in the occupied West Bank. According to Francesca Albanese, the UN Special Rapporteur, the Israeli government maintains ultimate responsibility for these activities despite the indirect involvement of settlers.
The allegations emerge following an incident in the West Bank village of Qusra, where Israeli settlers maintained a week-long siege around three residential properties. The encirclement effectively confined Palestinian residents within their homes, raising concerns about freedom of movement and civilian safety in the disputed territory.
Albanese’s statement reflects ongoing tensions regarding the role of settlements and settler activities in the Palestinian territories. The characterization of outsourcing coercive measures suggests a pattern whereby state-level objectives may be advanced through non-state actors, a practice that the UN official contends absolves neither the Israeli government nor the settlers involved of responsibility for the consequences.
Originally reported by Aljazeera →
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