The United Kingdom has warned that Palestinian children are among those bearing the heaviest consequences of escalating violence in the West Bank, citing repeated exposure to violence, displacement, movement restrictions and disruption to education.
The UK made the assessment in a statement delivered at the United Nations in New York on Tuesday, where it condemned the deteriorating security situation in the occupied West Bank and called on Israel to protect the Palestinian population.
The British government said 13 Palestinians and two Israelis were killed in the West Bank in July, while citing UN data showing more than 1,300 settler-related incidents affecting over 250 Palestinian communities.
“Children are among those most affected by conflict,” the UK said, adding that they were being exposed to “repeated violence, displacement, and disruption” caused by movement restrictions and military operations.
The statement specifically condemned the demolition of three donor-funded classrooms at Sha’ab al Butum School on August 4, weeks before the start of the school year.
“We call on the Government of Israel to fulfil their obligations to protect the Palestinian population of the occupied territory,” the UK said.
The warning comes as humanitarian agencies continue to document the impact of the conflict on children and education.
UN humanitarian assessments have reported hundreds of injuries linked to settler violence and Israeli military operations this year, alongside thousands of Palestinians displaced by settler attacks and demolitions.
The UN has also warned that dozens of schools remain under threat of demolition or subject to stop-work orders, placing thousands of students at risk of losing access to education.
The UK condemned recent attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian villages and communities, including incidents it said occurred alongside Israeli Defence Force personnel.
“Recent attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian villages and communities, in some cases alongside Israeli Defence Force personnel, are appalling,” the statement said.
“These are not isolated incidents.”
Britain welcomed recent arrests and indictments by Israeli authorities of people accused of settler violence but said more needed to be done to prevent attacks and prosecute perpetrators.
“Perpetrators have acted with impunity for too long,” it said.
The UK also stressed that Israeli security measures must be proportionate, consistent with international law and contribute to de-escalation.
On Gaza, Britain called for restrictions on humanitarian assistance to be lifted and for safe, sustained and unhindered access for aid agencies across the territory.
The UK said conditions for Gaza’s civilian population remained “appalling” and urged all parties to honour commitments aimed at ending the conflict.
It also called for implementation of the diplomatic framework endorsed by the UN Security Council, including respect for the ceasefire, Hamas’ decommissioning commitments, the phased withdrawal of Israeli forces and the eventual transfer of governance and security responsibilities to the Palestinian Authority.
The British government encouraged the Palestinian Authority to continue reforms needed to prepare it for that role and thanked the United States, Qatar, Türkiye and Egypt for their diplomatic efforts.
Britain also renewed its opposition to Israeli settlement expansion.
“Settlements are illegal under international law,” the UK said, arguing that they undermine the viability of a two-state solution and fuel insecurity for Palestinians and Israelis.
The statement expressed concern over the expansion of settlements and opposition to the reintroduction of the E1 settlement plan, which would affect the territorial continuity of the West Bank.
The UK also raised concern over recent mass incursions at the Haram al-Sharif/Temple Mount and called for the status quo governing Jerusalem’s holy sites to be respected.
Britain said the two-state solution remained the only credible path to lasting peace and security, with a sovereign and viable Palestinian state alongside a safe and secure Israel.
It warned that the deteriorating situation in the West Bank should not be allowed to undermine diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a lasting settlement to the conflict.
