The United Nations has raised serious alarms over Israel’s recent announcement that over 120,000 weapons have been distributed to its citizens in the past year, with further distributions anticipated. This announcement has sparked significant concern among international observers.
In a discussion with Anadolu, Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, indicated that the mass distribution of arms, which began on October 7, 2023—the day Israel initiated its offensive in Gaza—has prompted red flags about escalating violence in the region.
Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s remarks accompanying the announcement have amplified these worries, with Laurence stressing the potential for a “sharp increase” in regional violence. He referenced a report from December, highlighting concerns from the UN Human Rights Office about the distribution of firearms by the Israeli military in the occupied West Bank, a trend that coincided with a surge in settler-related violence. Over a third of these incidents involved firearms, including shootings.
Laurence also pointed to a September report from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, which recorded 1,350 assaults by Israelis against Palestinians in the West Bank, including 55 armed attacks. He cautioned that distributing weapons to Israeli civilians amidst rising settler violence could result in more armed confrontations with Palestinians.
Furthermore, Laurence cited an annual report from UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, submitted in February, which expressed concern over inflammatory statements made by senior Israeli officials. He reiterated Turk’s warning that such rhetoric has dehumanized Palestinians and compromised adherence to international humanitarian law. For instance, Ben-Gvir has previously suggested in a video that Palestinian prisoners “should be shot in the head instead of being given more food.”
The situation has escalated significantly since the onset of the conflict on October 7, 2023. According to Palestinian sources, at least 719 Palestinians have been killed, including 160 children, with nearly 6,200 injured and over 10,900 arrested in the occupied territories.
Israeli estimates indicate that approximately 720,000 Israelis currently reside in illegal settlement outposts located in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. These settlements are deemed illegal under international law by the UN, and the US has also asserted that Israel’s expansion of settlements contravenes international law.
This recent escalation follows a landmark ruling by the International Court of Justice in July, which declared Israel’s prolonged occupation of Palestinian territories unlawful and called for the removal of all settlements in West Bank and East Jerusalem.
