The UN human rights office issued a report detailing what it calls Israel's "systemic discrimination" against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, stating the situation has "drastically deteriorated" over the past three years. The report, released on [insert date if available, otherwise omit], examines Israeli laws, policies, and practices, concluding they have an "asphyxiating impact" on the daily lives of Palestinians and violate an international convention against racial discrimination.

High Commissioner Volker Türk asserted that the situation "resembles the kind of apartheid system we have seen before," characterizing it as "a particularly severe form of racial discrimination and segregation." The report cites specific instances of systemic discrimination faced by Palestinians in the West Bank.

Israel has dismissed the UN report's findings. The Israeli mission in Geneva labeled the accusations as "absurd and distorted," arguing that the UN human rights office "completely ignores fundamental facts that lie at the basis of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." The mission emphasized the "grave security threats Israel faces" as the basis for its actions and policies.

The report arrives amidst ongoing tensions in the West Bank. The international convention against racial discrimination, referenced in the UN report, prohibits any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, color, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life.

The UN Human Rights Office has been monitoring the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, for several years. The current report builds upon previous findings and assessments. The findings are based on a review of existing laws, policies, and practices, as well as interviews with victims and witnesses.

The report's release is likely to further inflame the already fraught relationship between Israel and international human rights organizations. It remains to be seen what specific actions, if any, will be taken by the UN or individual member states in response to the report's findings. The UN Human Rights Council is scheduled to discuss the report's findings at its next session.