Dozens of Palestinians were injured on Friday as Israeli settlers launched multiple attacks across the occupied West Bank. At least 54 Palestinians hurt in waves of assaults that included destroying olive trees and damaging property. The attacks took place under protection of the Israeli military. Settlers targeted Palestinian farmers near Talfit, a village south of Nablus. Israeli troops fired tear gas and live bullets at residents who tried to defend their lands. Assaults resulted in broken windows and smashed vehicles. Near the Ramallah-area town of Turmus Aya, settlers uprooted around 300 Palestinian olive trees, reports the Wafa news agency citing local sources. Palestinians face a sharp rise in military and settler violence amid the ongoing war in Gaza. From October 7, 2023, to February 5, 2024, UN data shows 1,054 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces and settlers. Tens of thousands have been forcibly displaced, which Human Rights Watch calls war crimes and crimes against humanity. Recently, Israel approved plans to formally extend its control over parts of the West Bank. This move drew strong international condemnation for amounting to de facto annexation. UN human rights chief Volker Turk warned these decisions "will undoubtedly accelerate the dispossession of Palestinians and their forcible transfer" and "lead to the creation of more illegal Israeli settlements." Turk described the changes as rapid steps to permanently alter the occupied territory's demography, violating Israel’s obligations as an occupying power to protect the legal order and social fabric. "These decisions must be overturned," he said.