Amnesty International denounces Israeli campaign of ethnic cleansing in West Bank

According to a report published by Amnesty International on June 10, 2026, Israel is carrying out a systematic policy in the occupied West Bank aimed at displacing the Palestinian population, in particular the Bedouin and pastoral communities in Area C. The organization claims that this strategy constitutes a campaign of “ethnic cleansing” intended to facilitate the gradual annexation of the territory by Israel.

The report maintains that the violence against Palestinians is not the result of isolated initiatives by extremist settlers, but is part of a policy organized, financed and supported by the Israeli authorities. Since the coming to power of the coalition led by Benjamin Netanyahu, associated with the ultranationalist parties of Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, the annexation of the West Bank has become an assumed political objective. Amnesty notes in particular an unprecedented acceleration in colonization, with the creation of 102 new colonies between January 2023 and April 2026.

The organization describes several mechanisms used to strengthen Israeli control over Area C, which represents more than 60 percent of the West Bank. Among them are the confiscation of land under various administrative statuses (“state lands”, natural or archaeological reserves), the multiplication of settler outposts, as well as drastic restrictions imposed on Palestinian construction. While almost no Palestinian housing projects have been approved in recent years, demolitions of homes and infrastructure have increased, displacing thousands of people. The report also highlights that settler violence today constitutes the main factor in the forced displacement of Palestinians. This violence takes different forms: attacks on homes, physical attacks, intimidation, destruction of means of subsistence, livestock theft or even obstruction of access to water and pastures. Amnesty believes that these acts are often committed with the protection or passivity of Israeli security forces.

The case of the village of Zanuta is presented as emblematic. This Bedouin community, which had around 250 inhabitants, was reportedly forced to leave its land after years of harassment and violence by settlers installed in a neighboring outpost. Despite a ruling by the Israeli Supreme Court ordering the protection of residents and their return, Amnesty says authorities have failed to implement the ruling, allowing intimidation to continue.

The organization also highlights the material support given to settlers. According to his research, the state funds security equipment, infrastructure and various settler organizations. Millions of dollars would have been spent on equipping the outposts with vehicles, surveillance systems and communications equipment.

Finally, Amnesty denounces a climate of almost total impunity. The vast majority of complaints filed by Palestinians against settlers would be dismissed, while some victims would find themselves prosecuted or arrested. The organization considers that these practices constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity under international law. It calls on the international community to adopt sanctions against the Israeli officials involved, to suspend any cooperation contributing to the occupation and to demand an end to forced displacements, the apartheid system denounced by the organization and the expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank.