The U.N. Human Rights Office says Israel has significantly expanded and consolidated illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank in violation of international law. In a statement, U.N. High Commissioner Volker Türk said, “The transfer by Israel of parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies amounts to a war crime.” His comments came amid a wave of attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian communities in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem. Last week, settlers attacked the village of Khirbet al-Marjam, firing live ammunition and throwing tear gas bombs as they set fire to cars and three Palestinian homes.

Maysoon Msalam: “Abu Mohammed closed the door, and then they climbed on top of the house and started to throw stones. They broke the door and the windows. Then they burned this door and entered and set fire inside the house. We went in to take the children out of the house. We didn’t find the children. They took the children with them! When they saw us they left the children.”