Gaza Herald – UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese has called for the urgent deployment of an international protection force to the occupied West Bank and Gaza, amid escalating Israeli attacks and settler attacks against Palestinians.
Albanese said the international community has a responsibility to work toward ending Israel’s unlawful occupation, citing the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice.
Her call comes as Israeli settler attacks across the occupied West Bank continue to escalate. Palestinian authorities reported that 25 Palestinians were killed in settler attacks during the first eight months of 2026, the highest annual toll recorded since monitoring began in 2019.
The figure is already 79% higher than the total recorded for all of 2025. Since 2019, at least 87 Palestinians have been killed in settler attacks, according to the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission.
In Gaza, Israeli forces have continued to violate the fragile ceasefire through artillery shelling, gunfire, airstrikes and attacks on areas sheltering displaced Palestinians. Gaza’s Ministry of Health has reported that 1,286 Palestinians have been killed and 4,257 injured since the ceasefire took effect, while the bodies of 813 Palestinians have been recovered from the rubble.
The attacks have continued despite the ceasefire, with civilians killed in strikes on residential areas, displacement sites and public facilities. In recent days, Israeli forces have shelled areas around Khan Younis and Gaza City, while drone and gunfire attacks have continued across the Strip. Many victims remain trapped beneath destroyed buildings, with rescue teams unable to reach them because of the scale of destruction and severe shortages of equipment.
The humanitarian crisis has also deepened as Israel’s restrictions on fuel, medical supplies and essential equipment continue to cripple Gaza’s already devastated health and civilian infrastructure. Thousands of Palestinians remain displaced, while hospitals face shortages of medicines, medical supplies, diagnostic equipment and fuel needed to keep critical services operating.
Her call comes as Israeli settler attacks across the occupied West Bank continue to escalate. Palestinian authorities reported that 25 Palestinians were killed in settler attacks during the first eight months of 2026, the highest annual toll recorded since monitoring began in 2019.
The figure is already 79% higher than the total recorded for all of 2025. Since 2019, at least 87 Palestinians have been killed in settler attacks, according to the Palestinian Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission.
