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19 March 2026<\/p>\n
GENEVA<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 UN experts* today condemned Israel\u2019s accelerating campaign of ethnic cleansing and annexation in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, marked by the forced displacement of Palestinians and escalating violence by Israeli security forces and settlers terrorising Palestinian communities.<\/p>\n \u201cAgainst the backdrop of the US-Israel aggression of Iran and Lebanon, Israel is escalating ethnic cleansing and full annexation of the West Bank,\u201d the experts said.<\/p>\n \u201cSince 28 February, most road gates of the West Bank have been closed by occupation forces, obstructing access to workplaces, schools, health services and aid, isolating communities even from ambulances and fire brigades.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cEntrapped and out of reach, entire communities live in fear of settler terrorism rampaging across the West Bank day and night,\u201d they warned. \u201cThousands of Palestinian families have been forced to flee their homes because of escalating settler attacks, and the destruction of essential infrastructure, especially in the Jordan valley, some of them displaced months earlier from other communities.\u201d<\/p>\n The experts are also alarmed by reports of sexual abuse of Palestinian men, women and children by settlers.<\/p>\n They said the settlers were being galvanised by hate speech from high level government officials and rampant impunity for brazen attacks that kill and injure Palestinians, including children and older persons.<\/p>\n Settlers have targeted Palestinian homes, vehicles and livestock, vandalised harvests, olive trees and critical water, sanitation and hygiene facilities and infrastructure. Sheep have been killed or stolen from pasturelands.<\/p>\n The experts said the mobs have beaten and threatened everyone, including Israeli volunteers, trying to protect Palestinian villages and families.<\/p>\n Between 3 and 16 February, at least 86 Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians took place across 60 communities. On 3 March, armed settler groups and Israeli military forces raided the village of Qaryut, in Nablus District, killed two Palestinians and injured others. Ambulances were unable to reach and evacuate the injured for over an hour because of Israel\u2019s closures.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is an example of coordinated implementation of Israel\u2019s annexation and ethnic cleansing policy by occupation forces and settlers: these two are birds of a feather,\u201d the experts said.<\/p>\n Recent reports revealing that arms and vehicles have been provided to these groups corroborate evidence that Israeli authorities rely on illegal settlers to \u201cdo the groundwork\u201d of the ethnic cleansing.<\/p>\n The experts denounced statements by Israeli Minister of national security Ben Gvir, who claimed that \u201cJews are above the law in the West Bank\u201d while granting firearm licenses to settlers in occupied East Jerusalem.<\/p>\n \u201cOnly a few weeks ago, we\u00a0denounced<\/a>\u00a0the Israeli Government\u2019s plan to further dispossess and displace Palestinian communities, expand and promote the creation of new illegal settlements, and register Palestinian land as Israel\u2019s property,\u201d the experts said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe called on States to bring the unlawful occupation to an end, in compliance with the International Court of Justice\u00a02024 Advisory Opinion<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0General Assembly Resolution ES 10\/24<\/a>. Tragically, States have failed to stop Israel\u2019s crimes, emboldening its impunity and giving it carte blanche to continue its atrocities against Palestinians,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n To learn more about Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council and the Question of Palestine, click here to visit the dedicated webpage.<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n *The experts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n