UN urges end to 'illogic of escalation' between "Israel", Palestinians

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UN rights chief Volker Turk urged Friday to end the so-called "illogic of escalation" in occupied Palestine, boldly holding both the Israeli occupation and Palestine accountable after the recent raid by the Israeli occupation forces on the Jenin camp in the occupied West Bank.

Following the surge in attacks and fighting between the IOF and Palestinian resistance groups who were left with no choice but to defend themselves, Turk criticized "Israel" for measures that "can only lead to further violence and bloodshed".

Since the start of this year, Israeli aggression has killed 36 Palestinians. 

"Rather than doubling down on failed approaches of violence and coercion... I urge everyone involved to step out of the illogic of escalation that has only ended in dead bodies, shattered lives, and utter despair," Turk said in a statement.  

"Recent measures being taken by the Government of Israel are only fuelling further violations and abuses of human rights law," he added.  

"We know from experience that the proliferation of firearms will lead to increased risks of killings and injuries of both Israelis and Palestinians."  

The UN rights chief was referring to the new Israeli measures easing access to firearms after a shooting took place in Nabi Yaqub, occupied Al-Quds.

Read: Shooting leaves several settlers dead, dozen wounded: Israeli media

The following day, the occupation authorities extended the detention of the father, mother, and brother of Mahmoud Muhammad Aleiwat (13 years), the Palestinian who allegedly carried out the Silwan shooting in occupied Al-Quds and was arrested by IOF after he was shot and wounded.

The Al-Quds operation came after the deadliest Israeli raid in the West Bank in almost 20 years that left 10 Palestinians dead in Jenin, after which the Lions' Den Resistance group announced that it had carried out four shootings targeting Israeli occupation forces in the vicinity of Nablus, in the northern West Bank.

Turk urged "all those holding public office or other positions of authority -- indeed everyone -- to stop using language that incites hatred of 'the other'."    

Other measures announced by "Israel", Turk added, including "punitive forced evictions and house demolitions," may amount to "collective punishment".  

In a visit to occupied Palestine on Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for "urgent steps" to "de-escalate" the situation in occupied Palestine failing to mention the most recent Israeli massacre in Jenin, in addition to another Palestinian martyred in Ramallah on the same day while protesting the Israeli aggression.

Numerous states from all over the world have rushed to condemn the Israeli occupation's aggression on Jenin.

The Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry called on the international community to swiftly take action to "put an end to the continuous Israeli violations and provide protection for the Palestinian people."

Oman similarly called on the international community to fulfill its responsibilities by putting an end to the escalation and backing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people by putting an end to the occupation and realizing comprehensive and just peace.

Jordanian House of Representatives Speaker Ahmad Safadi said the Israeli occupation's criminal actions in Jenin, which led to the martyrdom of 10 Palestinians, was proof that the occupation believed in nothing but brutality, the bloodshed of Palestinians, and the violation of international laws.

Last December, the UN called 2022 the deadliest year for the occupied West Bank as Israeli aggression brutally murdered 150 Palestinians throughout the year according to the organization.

The Washington Post also reported that Israeli forces murdered 146 Palestinians in the West Bank and predominantly the eastern part of occupied Al-Quds through December 19 of 2022, compared to 75 in 2021, citing numbers released by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).