Presenting his report to the Security Council on the state of tensions from June to September, Wennesland expressed deep concern over the surge in violence in the West Bank and Israel to levels not seen in decades.

The expert also warned of the use of increasingly lethal weaponry, even in densely populated areas.

During the period covered by the report, the Israeli military killed 68 Palestinians, including 18 children, and wounded 2,830 more.

These deaths were perpetrated in demonstrations, clashes, security operations, attacks, alleged assaults on Israelis and other incidents, he said.

Meanwhile, Israeli settlers killed two more Palestinians and injured 73.

Other serious violations included demolitions and seizure of Palestinian-owned structures throughout the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as schools.

In the occupied West Bank alone, including East Jerusalem, over 10,000 homes were built between June 15 and September 19, he stressed while calling attention to the excessive use of force by settlers.

Immediate steps must be taken to reduce tensions, he said.

Wennesland further rejected the use of hateful rhetoric that further exacerbates the complexity of the context along with the daily violence.

The envoy insisted that “there is no substitute for a legitimate political process to resolve the core issues driving the conflict.”

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