Geneva (TDI): The United Nations on Tuesday called on Israel to immediately halt its settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank, warning that ongoing policies have displaced more than 36,000 Palestinians over the past year and raised serious concerns about potential ethnic cleansing.
A new report from the UN rights office covering the 12 months up to October 31 last year highlighted that Israel’s acceleration of illegal settlements and annexation of occupied territories has led to “unprecedented” levels of displacement.
“The displacement of more than 36,000 Palestinians in the West Bank represents mass expulsion on a scale not previously seen, amounting to unlawful transfer prohibited under international humanitarian law,” the report said. It added that, together with displacement in Gaza, the pattern suggests a coordinated Israeli policy aimed at permanent displacement, prompting serious concerns of ethnic cleansing.
The report detailed that Israeli authorities advanced or approved 36,973 housing units in settlements in occupied East Jerusalem and around 27,200 units elsewhere in the West Bank. Over the same period, 84 new settlement outposts were established, bringing the total to more than 300.
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Currently, roughly three million Palestinians live in the West Bank alongside more than 500,000 Israeli settlers, all residing in settlements deemed illegal under international law.
The report also noted a surge in violence since October 7, 2023, when Hamas carried out a major attack in Israel. Attacks by Israeli settlers have increased since the outbreak of the Iran war, with at least six Palestinians killed since February 28.
According to Palestinian health ministry figures, Israeli forces or settlers have killed 1,045 Palestinians in the occupied territory since October 2023. The UN documented 1,732 incidents of settler violence resulting in casualties or property damage over the 12-month period, up from 1,400 in the previous year. “Settler violence continued in a coordinated, strategic and largely unchallenged manner, with Israeli authorities playing the central role,” the report said.
UN rights chief Volker Turk urged Israel to immediately halt and reverse settlement expansion, evacuate settlers, end the occupation, and allow displaced Palestinians to return. He called for an end to land confiscation, forced evictions, and house demolitions.
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The report also highlighted the risk to thousands of Palestinians from Bedouin communities northeast of East Jerusalem due to advancing settlement plans. It emphasized that unlawful transfer of protected persons is a serious violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and may constitute a war crime, or, in some circumstances, a crime against humanity.
