Amnesty International released a detailed report on Wednesday accusing the Israeli government of orchestrating a campaign of 'ethnic cleansing' against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, with the stated goal of annexing the territory. The 149-page document alleges that the forced displacement of Palestinians is not merely the result of violent settler actions but is a deliberate state policy supported by government institutions.
According to the report, settler violence, the expansion of illegal outposts, and the demolition of Palestinian homes are all part of a coordinated effort to drive Palestinians from their land. The international community overwhelmingly considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law.
Israel, however, views the territory as disputed and insists its final status must be determined through negotiations. United Nations data cited in the report indicates that over 100 West Bank villages have been fully or partially emptied between January 2023 and April 2026.
Additionally, the UN has recorded more than 7,280 instances of individual displacement due to the demolition of homes and structures by Israeli forces, a figure that includes people displaced multiple times. Amnesty's Secretary-General, Agnès Callamard, stated, 'These abuses are not the result of a few bad apples.
Settler violence is a core component of a state-sanctioned campaign of ethnic cleansing. What we are witnessing is deliberate, state-led annexation, in complete violation of international law unfolding before the eyes of the entire world.' The report highlights that Bedouin herding communities in remote areas are particularly vulnerable, as they lack the resources to resist armed settlers who establish new outposts around their villages.
The anti-settlement monitoring group Peace Now reports that 212 of at least 363 existing outposts in the West Bank have been created since 2023. These outposts are built without Israeli authorization, and while authorities sometimes dismantle them, they often turn a blind eye or retroactively legalize them.
Amnesty's investigation examined 27 hamlets and villages where displacement occurred between 2023 and 2025, interviewing dozens of Palestinians and lawyers, reviewing over 420 videos, and analyzing government statements. The group also criticized the international community for failing to intervene.
Dror Etkes, who runs the settlement watchdog group Kerem Navot, noted that since the October 2023 attack, settlers have taken control of approximately 12.5% of West Bank territory, land that Palestinians can no longer access or cross safely. Israel has not yet responded to the report but has previously dismissed such accusations as biased.
The report comes amid ongoing tensions, with key Israeli cabinet ministers from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing government pushing for formal annexation. Last year, former U.S.
President Donald Trump stated he would not allow annexation, and the U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas acknowledged Palestinian aspirations for statehood.