Press Release

A New Violation Targets the Youth Village Amid a Dangerous Escalation of Attacks

The Sharek Youth Forum strongly condemns the latest attack carried out against the Palestinian Youth Village, marking a serious continuation of the repeated violations targeting this civic space, within a systematic pattern aimed at undermining its social and national role.

Settlers stormed the village and deliberately committed acts of vandalism, including writing hate-filled and inciting slogans on the walls of buildings, spreading intimidating messages, and causing damage to property and facilities within the site. These actions constitute a clear violation of fundamental human and legal principles.

The Youth Village represents an independent Palestinian civic space dedicated to empowering young people and strengthening their community participation. It serves as a safe environment for dialogue, volunteer work, and the development of initiatives. Its repeated targeting affects not only its physical infrastructure, but also the right to association and civic engagement — rights guaranteed under international human rights law, which protects civic spaces and ensures the freedom to carry out community work without threat or intimidation.

The Forum affirms that the recurrence of these attacks, carried out under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces and with their complicity, reflects a systematic policy of impunity and encourages further escalation and violations against Palestinian civil society institutions.

In this context, the Sharek Youth Forum notes that this attack comes within a long series of documented assaults against the Youth Village, which have reached (60) attacks to date — a serious indication of organized and continuous targeting of this civic space.

Accordingly, the Sharek Youth Forum calls for:

Immediate protection for the Youth Village as a civic space safeguarded under international law.

A serious and independent investigation, and accountability for the settlers involved in acts of vandalism.

Full responsibility to be borne by the Israeli occupation authorities for these violations and guarantees of non-repetition.

Urgent international action to halt the targeting of Palestinian civic spaces.

These continued attacks will not deter the Youth Village from continuing its mission. Rather, they reinforce its determination to remain a free and safe space for Palestinian youth, despite all attempts at intimidation and destruction.

Sharek Youth Forum

Ramallah, Palestine

24 February