16 Martyrs and 214 Injured in the West Bank and Jerusalem During June 2025
18 July 2025 – Union for Justice
The Union for Justice in cooperation with the Palestinian Information Center – Ma’ta documented the continued violations committed by Israeli occupation forces and settlers against Palestinians and their properties in the West Bank and Jerusalem during June 2025, with a total of 6,351 violations recorded throughout the month.
Israeli occupation forces continued their military operations targeting Palestinians, resulting in the martyrdom of 16 citizens in the West Bank and Jerusalem, and the injury of 214 others, including children, women, and the elderly. Meanwhile, 260 shooting incidents were carried out by Israeli soldiers and settlers against Palestinians.
Military Raids and Arrests
Occupation forces conducted 2,317 incursions and raids into Palestinian cities, towns, and refugee camps, causing extensive damage to homes and their contents, and arresting 1,171 Palestinians during these operations. Additionally, Israeli bulldozers demolished 370 homes and structures, including 34 houses destroyed completely.
Settlement Expansion and Land Confiscation
The occupation also pursued expansive settlement plans across the West Bank and Jerusalem, with 163 settlement-related activities documented, including land confiscation, leveling of Palestinian property, opening new bypass roads, and approving additional settlement units. At the same time, settlers carried out 315 attacks against Palestinian civilians and their properties.
Religious and Daily Restrictions
There were 112 violations against places of worship and holy sites, in addition to the closure of 585 roads and areas, and 640 incidents of harassment and obstruction at fixed and temporary military checkpoints across the West Bank and Jerusalem, which exacerbated the daily suffering of Palestinians and contributed to isolating Palestinian communities under an ongoing policy of collective restriction.
Israeli Violations of International Law
Israel systematically violates the principles of international law and international humanitarian law in its treatment of Palestinians in the occupied territories, amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity under international conventions. These violations can be detailed as follows:
1. Violations of the Law of Occupation (Hague Regulations 1907 & Fourth Geneva Convention 1949)
Article 43 of the Hague Regulations obliges the occupying power to respect local laws and maintain the existing status quo. Israel violates this by:
– Expanding illegal settlements in contravention of Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the transfer of the occupier’s population into occupied territory.
– House demolitions and collective punishment in violation of Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits collective penalties.
Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits destruction of property unless absolutely necessary for military operations. Israel demolishes homes as punitive measures or to expand settlement infrastructure.
Israel’s policy of collective punishment constitutes a grave breach of Article 33, which explicitly forbids punishing individuals for offenses they did not personally commit.
Article 49 further prohibits the forced transfer of populations; Israel’s displacements in West Bank camps and Gaza constitute a flagrant breach of this provision.
2. War Crimes Under the Rome Statute (1998)
Article 8 defines war crimes to include:
– Indiscriminate attacks such as direct bombardment of civilians in the West Bank and Gaza.
– Arbitrary arrests and torture; thousands of Palestinians are held without trial, violating Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
– Utilization of settlers as instruments of repression, amounting to unlawful population transfer under Article 8.
3. Crimes Against Humanity (Article 7, Rome Statute)
Defined as “widespread or systematic attacks against civilians,” encompassing:
– Extrajudicial executions and mass arrests.
– Ethnic cleansing through forced displacement of Palestinians from Jerusalem and the West Bank in favor of settlements.
4. Violation of the Right to Self-Determination (Customary International Law & UN Resolutions)
UNSC Resolution 242 (1967) and Resolution 2334 (2016) reaffirm the illegality of settlements and call for Israel’s withdrawal from occupied territories.
The International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion (2004) declared the separation wall in the West Bank illegal and ordered its dismantlement.
5. Impunity and International Bias
Despite the above violations, Israel obstructs accountability by:
Rejecting the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, even though Palestine has been a member since 2015. Benefiting from U.S. and European political support, which prevents effective sanctions or enforcement.
International Law Obligations of States
International law imposes clear responsibilities on all states in response to Israel’s occupation and ongoing violations:
– Non-Recognition of Occupation: States must not recognize the legitimacy of the occupation, in accordance with UN General Assembly Resolution 67/19.
– End of Military Cooperation with Israel: Based on the obligation of non-assistance in violations of international law, states must halt all forms of military and security cooperation with Israel.
– Prosecution of War Criminals: States have an obligation to pursue accountability through mechanisms such as the International Criminal Court (ICC). Under the Rome Statute, crimes committed in Palestine fall within the classification of war crimes, including:
* Forced displacement.
* Deliberate attacks on civilians.
* Destruction of property without military necessity.
– Recourse to International Courts: Efforts must be made to submit comprehensive files on Israeli violations to the ICC to strengthen the prospects of accountability.
– Activation of UN Resolutions: The international community must be pressured to implement relevant UN resolutions concerning the Palestinian question, particularly those condemning settlement expansion and forced displacement.
– Strengthening Legal Documentation: Continued documentation of Israeli violations in cooperation with international institutions is necessary to provide legal evidence supporting the Palestinian cause.
Israel continues its violations because the global system enables its impunity, which necessitates stronger popular and legal pressure to end this unjustified exception. The crimes committed by the Israeli occupation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip can only be classified as crimes against humanity and war crimes under international law.
We, at the Union for Justice and the Palestinian Information Center “Ma’ta”, affirm the urgent necessity of activating international legal mechanisms to hold the occupation accountable and to put an end to these violations, which gravely threaten peace and stability in the region.
