UN human rights chief calls Israel operation in the city of Hebron in the south of the West Bank “aggressive” and said the extensive actions taken “raise serious concerns about the use of unnecessary and disproportionate force” and must end.

Volker Türk said on Monday that the operation has led to the demolition of homes and commercial properties and the restriction of residents’ freedom of movement. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the number of people who have been displaced since Friday is more than three thousand.

Türk described the statements by senior Israeli officials as a sign that the measures are punitive and “designed to instill fear,” and called that unacceptable. He emphasized: “Collective punishment is a serious violation of international law.”

According to Türk, threats of displacement and the complete erasure of neighborhoods create serious concerns about ethnic cleansing. He called for the return of all displaced people to their homes and asked Israel to compensate and provide reparation for unlawful displacement, demolitions, and displacement resulting from these actions.