UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Thursday that attacks by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank were aimed at driving Palestinian communities off their land.

"And in the occupied West Bank, Palestinians continue to suffer daily attacks by Israeli settlers. The clear goal is to drive communities off their land," Guterres told reporters.

He said he would travel to Egypt on Friday to address the issue.

"I will carry this same message with me: We need to stop the widening of war, protect civilians and create the political space for diplomacy and peace," Guterres said.

On Monday, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) warned that Palestinian farmers are facing renewed threats amid the ongoing olive harvest in the West Bank. The office called for the adequate protection of farmers and for them to be allowed safe access to their lands.

According to the OHCHR, 178 settler attacks tied to the olive harvest were recorded in 2025, affecting 88 Palestinian towns and villages, the largest count since 2020. Moreover, over 6,000 trees and saplings were vandalized, twice as many as in 2024 and the highest in six years.