Rights Groups Say Israeli Regime Supports Forcible Transfer of Palestinians in West Bank

A joint report by Yesh Din and Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) said the Israeli government "is responsible for the commission of the war crime of forcible transfer of Palestinians in the West Bank."

"This crime is committed with the state’s support, by its agents or citizens," the report stated.

According to the report, nearly 100,000 dunams (24,710 acres) of land east of Allon Road have been almost entirely emptied of Palestinian residents over the past two years.

It said those who left did not do so voluntarily, but were subjected to a “forcible transfer effected by a combination of factors: years of institutional oppression, daily physical violence, invasive psychological terror, and catastrophic economic harm.”

The groups warned that these state-backed patterns and practices risk developing into “a longterm government strategy of ethnically cleansing Palestinians, at least in Area C, which accounts for 60% of the West Bank’s territory.”

Under the 1995 Oslo Accords, the West Bank was divided into Areas A, B, and C.

Area C, which includes strategic land and resources, remains under full Israeli civil and military control pending a final status agreement.

The Israeli regime has not yet responded to the report.

The international community, including the United Nations, regards Israeli settlements as illegal under international law.

The UN has repeatedly cautioned that ongoing settlement expansion threatens the viability of a two-state solution, widely seen as essential to resolving the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Since Israel launched its genocidal military campaign in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Israeli forces and settlers have escalated across the occupied West Bank, including East al-Quds.

According to Palestinian officials, more than 944 Palestinians have been killed, over 7,000 injured, and upwards of 15,800 arrested during this period.

In July, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel’s prolonged occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal, calling for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East al-Quds.