UN raises alarm over distribution of 120,000 weapons to Israeli citizens

The UN voiced alarm over Israel's announcement that over 120,000 weapons have been distributed to Israelis over the last year, with further distribution planned.

Speaking with Anadolu, Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, said Monday's announcement of the mass arms distribution since Oct. 7, 2023, when Israel's offensive on Gaza began, raised red flags.

Remarks made by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who made the announcement, "only serve to heighten these concerns," Laurence said, stressing that their primary worry is a "sharp increase" in regional violence.

He cited a report from the UN Human Rights Office published last December which raised "serious concern" regarding the distribution of firearms by the Israeli military in the occupied West Bank. He noted that this coincided with an increase in settler-related violence, with over a third of the recorded incidents involving firearms, including shootings.

Laurence also referenced a September report by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, which recorded 1,350 attacks by Israelis on Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including 55 armed assaults.

Laurence indicated that the distribution of weapons to Israeli civilians, particularly in the context of growing settler violence, could escalate armed attacks on Palestinians.

He also mentioned an annual report by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk, submitted to the UN Human Rights Council in February, highlighting concerns over the use of inflammatory language by senior Israeli officials. Laurence reiterated Turk's warning that some statements by political and military leaders have dehumanized Palestinians and downplayed the importance of adhering to international humanitarian law.

For instance, in a video released this June, Ben-Gvir said about Palestinian prisoners: "Prisoners should be shot in the head instead of being given more food."

Laurence also cited Turk's call for Israeli leaders to take steps to prevent hate speech and avoid incitement to violence.

Violence by illegal Israeli settlers against Palestinians has intensified since Oct. 7, 2023. At least 719 Palestinians, including 160 children, have been killed, nearly 6,200 others injured, and over 10,900 arrested in the occupied territory, according to Palestinian figures.

Israeli estimates indicate that around 720,000 Israelis now live in illegal settlement outposts in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. The international community, including the UN, considers these settlements illegal under international law, and the US has said that Israel's expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank is inconsistent with international law.

The escalation follows a landmark opinion in July by the International Court of Justice that declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land unlawful and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.