An Israeli human rights group and UN agencies reported on Wednesday an increase in settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, many times aiming at driving them away from desired land. Israeli human rights group B’Tselem and the UN’s Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHRC) reported that settler groups are stepping up violence against Palestinians, emboldened by the lack of punitive measures against the attacks.

“The Israeli government has not shown the political will to protect Palestinian civilians and has failed to commit sufficient resources to the job,” a B’Tselem representative said during a press conference, the Ynet News site reported. Furthermore, both B’Tselem and UNHRC believe that in many cases these actions are aimed at to driving Palestinians away from land that settlers covet and want to take over.

Jawdat Ibrahim (left) and Ibrahim Bani Jaber are seen in Nablus’ Rafedia Hospital, July 7, 2012. Jawdat Ibrahim was handcuffed and beaten by Israeli soldiers who then released him in front of a group of Israeli settlers that attacked him while the soldiers stood by and watched. He was the tied up by the settlers and left on his land, and was found only the following morning. Ibrahim Bani Jaber from Aqraba was injured in the eye after being handcuffed by the Israeli army and left for the settlers to assault. (Photo: Activestills)

Settler violence towards Palestinians in the West Bank, including property damage, hiked from 168 attacks in 2009 to 411 in 2011. The so-called “price tags,” a recent phenomena in which right-wing extremists attack Palestinian, Israeli military or Israeli peace movement targets. B’Tselem said that in the past decade over 350 complaints in behalf of Palestinians have been filed with the police, of which only 29 have resulted in indictments.