RAMALLAH, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian Vice President Hussein Al Sheikh on Thursday called on the international community to take firm action against Israel over its treatment of Palestinians.
In a statement, Al Sheikh urged "brotherly and friendly countries" to adopt clear measures, accusing Israel of continuing practices he said violate international law. He cited home demolitions, property destruction, settler violence, settlement expansion, land seizures, the withholding of Palestinian tax revenues, and the abuse of detainees.
Violence has intensified in the occupied West Bank and east Jerusalem since Oct. 7, 2023, when the war in Gaza began. The Palestinian Health Ministry says more than 1,080 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank and East Jerusalem since then. Israel's military has carried out near-daily raids in Palestinian towns and cities, while Palestinians accuse Israeli forces of using excessive force against civilians.
Israeli authorities carried out about 538 demolitions of Palestinian homes and other structures in 2025, according to the Palestinian Liberation Organization's Commission Against the Wall and Settlements, which said the figure marked a sharp increase from previous years.
Al Sheikh also warned of what he called an Israeli campaign against the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, saying it threatened to disrupt essential humanitarian services. ■
