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UN Describes 2022 as ‘Deadliest Year’ in West Bank Since 2006

An Israeli soldier at one of the main entrances to Nablus in the West Bank (EPA)
An Israeli soldier at one of the main entrances to Nablus in the West Bank (EPA)
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UN Describes 2022 as ‘Deadliest Year’ in West Bank Since 2006

An Israeli soldier at one of the main entrances to Nablus in the West Bank (EPA)
An Israeli soldier at one of the main entrances to Nablus in the West Bank (EPA)

The UN described 2022 as the "deadliest year since 2006" in the West Bank due to the continuous increase in violence.

The UN Acting Humanitarian Coordinator for the occupied Palestinian territory, Lucia Elmi, said that with the killing of at least 105 Palestinians, including 26 children, by the Israeli forces, 2022 has been the deadliest year since 2006, on a monthly average, for Palestinians residing in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

The UN statement documented a 57 percent increase in the monthly average of Palestinian fatalities compared to last year.

The coordinator said that since October, 15 Palestinians, including six children, have been killed by the occupation forces in search-and-arrest operations, exchange of fire, or in confrontations in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, often following settler attacks or incursions into Palestinian villages.

The UN official ruled out that the victims posed a concrete or imminent threat to justify lethal force, raising concerns about the excessive use of force.

Elmi emphasized that the United Nations is concerned about increasing movement restrictions. Earlier this month, after two Israeli soldiers were shot and killed at checkpoints in Nablus and East Jerusalem, Israeli forces imposed extensive movement restrictions, limiting access of many to health care, education, and livelihoods.

"In Shu'fat refugee camp, these restrictions have largely been lifted, but they remain in place in Nablus. Huwwara, one of Nablus city's only access points, has also seen an increase in the severity and frequency of settler violence."

On Wednesday, the Israeli forces continued its blockade on Nablus for the ninth day, aiming to deter a new armed group in the city known as the "Aren al-Usud" group, which Israel accuses of being responsible for shootings around the city in the past few weeks.

Israel imposed a tight siege on Nablus, and the Israeli army tightened its grip on the main Hawara checkpoint while continuing to close other checkpoints, such as Deir Sharaf.

Israel targets Nablus and Jenin, in the northern West Bank, as a center of activity for Palestinians who carry out operations in Israel. It carries out frequent incursions into the cities, killing the most significant number of Palestinians there this year.

Israel killed 172 in all Palestinian territories this year, including 121 in the West Bank and 51 in the Gaza Strip, and injured over 800, including severe injuries to the head and chest.

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Arab World

Sudan Arms Surge Raises Alarms Over Civilian Protection

Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)
Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)
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Sudan Arms Surge Raises Alarms Over Civilian Protection

Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)
Sudan says it destroyed 50,000 explosive remnants of war (AFP)

A surge in deadly violence has gripped the quiet northern town of al-Dabbah, exposing the growing threat posed by the rampant spread of weapons across Sudan in the absence of effective state control.

At least eight people were killed over just two days, four in tribal clashes and four others in a street fight within the town.

The latest bloodshed comes amid a broader climate of insecurity, where gunfire has become a common soundscape. In nearby Omdurman, social media users circulated graphic footage of a young man shot dead in cold blood after resisting an attempt to steal his mobile phone.

Reports of killings and injuries from arguments and brawls settled with bullets have flooded social platforms, painting a grim picture of lawlessness. Armed robbery gangs are said to roam freely, terrorizing civilians with no security forces in sight.

As Sudan’s brutal conflict enters its third year, guns have become as commonplace in towns and villages as household items. What was once settled with fists or sticks is now resolved through the barrel of a gun.

Tens of thousands of civilians have reportedly armed themselves, citing the need for self-defense amid state collapse and the disintegration of law enforcement.

Even before the war erupted, estimates suggested around 2.2 million firearms were circulating in Sudan’s conflict zones. Since then, the figure is believed to have ballooned, with unofficial estimates placing the current number at nearly six million, most acquired privately or informally.

In al-Dabbah, local authorities confirmed tribal clashes erupted between members of the Kababish and Hawaweer tribes, leaving four dead and others wounded before security forces intervened. The following day, a quarrel between vehicle drivers escalated into a gunfight, claiming four more lives.

Meanwhile, in the Omdurman district of Al-Hattana, gunmen fatally shot a man while attempting to snatch his phone, another grim scene that social media brought into public view.

Weapons have now flooded Sudan’s markets. Eyewitnesses and former security officials say that under the brief control of the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in Khartoum, firearms were openly sold on the street like vegetables, with prices starting at just 20,000 Sudanese pounds, roughly $10.

Security experts say this gun chaos is not a sudden phenomenon but the product of years of unchecked proliferation.

Under former President Omar al-Bashir, weapons were distributed to tribal militias to fight opposing groups. With the eruption of nationwide conflict, arms have spread from the traditional battlegrounds of Darfur and Kordofan to cities in Sudan’s north, east, and center.

Legal analyst Moaz Hadra warned of the growing dangers of “random arming,” saying some groups are being trained and armed outside Sudan to destabilize the country. “Why are these groups being trained abroad instead of within Sudan’s military institutions?” he asked when speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat.

Officials Downplay Risk, Citing Self-Defense

Despite mounting violence, Sudanese security and military officials continue to downplay the threat. They argue that most weapons are held by civilians for self-protection against RSF attacks or roaming bandits. “Should a citizen wait helplessly while armed men storm his home?” one commentator asked rhetorically.

Brigadier General Fath al-Rahman al-Toum, a police spokesman, dismissed fears of total lawlessness, saying that gun crackdowns are ongoing and that firearms possession is being treated as an exceptional situation under extraordinary circumstances.

Others, like Brigadier General Saleh Abdullah, insist that once the war ends, collecting the weapons will be “very easy,” noting that most guns were distributed under strict regulations to reserve forces and can be retrieved using serial numbers registered to each piece. “The army has always managed its weapons according to clear protocols,” he said.

Major General Mujahid Ibrahim added that Sudan’s porous borders, particularly in the west, have made it easier for arms to enter the country unchecked, exacerbating the crisis. Still, military officials say weapons loaned to civilians can be recovered thanks to detailed logs and unique identifiers.

Yet, as al-Dabbah and Omdurman reel from fresh bouts of violence, the gap between official reassurance and on-the-ground chaos continues to widen. With Sudan’s civil war showing no sign of abating, the unchecked spread of guns threatens to tear apart what remains of the country’s fragile social fabric.