Amnesty Accuses Israel of Ethnic Cleansing in Occupied West Bank
Rights group alleges Israeli authorities and settlers are coordinating a campaign of displacement and land seizures against Palestinians, while Israel rejects the allegations as unfounded and driven by security concerns.
By Abdullahi Yusuf
Amnesty International has accused Israel of pursuing what it describes as a systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing in the occupied West Bank, alleging that thousands of Palestinians have been forcibly displaced through a combination of settler violence, land confiscation and state policies designed to expand Israeli control over the territory.
The allegations are contained in a 149-page report released by the rights organisation, which argues that the removal of Palestinian Bedouin and herding communities is not the work of isolated extremist settlers but part of a broader strategy involving Israeli authorities, security forces and settlement movements.
According to Amnesty, more than 5,900 Palestinians have been displaced from 117 Bedouin and herding communities across the occupied West Bank since 2023, as settlement expansion and attacks on Palestinian communities intensified.
The report, titled Erasing Anything Palestinian: Israel’s Ethnic Cleansing of West Bank Bedouin and Herding Communities, concludes that the displacement campaign amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity aimed at consolidating Israeli control over Area C of the West Bank and advancing de facto annexation of occupied Palestinian territory.
Amnesty said its findings were based on research conducted between 2024 and 2026, including interviews with Palestinian residents, lawyers, activists and officials, as well as analysis of satellite imagery, photographs, videos, court records and government documents.
The organisation alleged that Israeli government policies adopted since late 2022 have accelerated settlement expansion, land confiscation and demographic changes intended to strengthen Israeli control while reducing the Palestinian presence in the occupied territory.
It also cited public statements by senior Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, arguing that their remarks reflected support for expanding settlements and asserting greater Israeli control over the West Bank.
According to the report, Israeli authorities approved more than 50,000 settlement housing units between 2023 and 2025 while simultaneously restricting Palestinian construction and overseeing the demolition of thousands of Palestinian structures.
Amnesty further alleged that Israeli authorities have provided logistical support, funding and weapons to settler groups whose activities have contributed to the displacement of Palestinian communities.
The report documents what it describes as thousands of attacks by settlers during the period under review, including assaults, intimidation, arson, destruction of homes and farmland, theft of livestock and damage to water infrastructure.
Witnesses interviewed by Amnesty recounted incidents involving shootings, beatings and threats, while one case highlighted in the report alleged that more than 100 sheep were killed after settlers seized a Palestinian herd in the Jordan Valley.
The organisation also accused Israeli soldiers and police of failing to prevent attacks and, in some instances, participating in harassment or remaining present while violence unfolded.
Amnesty said Palestinian victims who reported attacks frequently faced arrest, detention or financial penalties themselves, while investigations into alleged offences committed by Israeli settlers rarely resulted in prosecutions.
The organisation concluded that Israeli authorities are committing serious violations of international humanitarian and human rights law and argued that the forced displacement of Palestinian communities constitutes ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.
It further linked developments in the West Bank to the broader conflict in Gaza, stating that the displacement campaign is occurring “against the backdrop of an ongoing genocide in Gaza” a characterisation strongly disputed by Israel.
Amnesty called on governments worldwide to impose sanctions on senior Israeli officials, halt support for settlement activities, restrict trade linked to Israeli settlements and increase diplomatic pressure to end what it described as unlawful occupation, apartheid and ethnic cleansing policies.
Israel has consistently rejected accusations of apartheid, ethnic cleansing and genocide, maintaining that its military operations and settlement policies are driven by legitimate security concerns and the need to protect Israeli citizens from violence. It has also rejected similar allegations made by international human rights organisations and legal bodies.
The report is likely to intensify international scrutiny of Israel’s policies in the occupied West Bank, where settlement expansion and recurring violence have remained among the most contentious issues in the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
SPONSORED
SPONSORED
