Amnesty International Accuses Israel of Ethnic Cleansing in the West Bank

Palestinian students were seen walking back home after receiving their year-end school reports in the West Bank Bedouin hamlets of Khan al-Ahmar on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. A report by Amnesty International accused Israel of undertaking an ‘ethnic cleansing’ campaign against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, aiming to annex Palestinian territories.

This accusation is detailed in a comprehensive 149-page report, which argues that the forced displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank stems from a deliberate state policy, not solely from the actions of violent settlers. The report suggests that these displacements are facilitated by the government’s support of settlers establishing outposts on Palestinian lands. While international consensus deems these settlements illegal, Israel considers the West Bank disputed territory, with its status reserved for future negotiations.

According to United Nations data, over 100 West Bank villages were fully or partially evacuated between January 2023 and April 2026. Additionally, more than 7,280 incidents of individual Palestinian displacement have occurred due to demolitions carried out by Israeli forces. This number includes individuals displaced multiple times.

Amnesty’s report criticizes state-backed settler violence. ‘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,’ stated Amnesty head, Agnès Callamard. She argued that this was evidence of deliberate, state-led annexation, contravening international law.

While Israeli leaders have condemned extreme violence by Jewish settlers, they often categorize these incidents as exceptions. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which includes many settler leaders and supporters, faces criticism for pushing the formal annexation of the territory and expanding settlements. Currently, over 700,000 Israelis reside in areas of the West Bank and east Jerusalem claimed by Palestinians for a future state.

Amnesty identified several bills in Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, intending to extend Israeli laws over settlement blocs and courts that judge Palestinians. The Knesset recently passed legislation making the death penalty a default for Palestinians in the West Bank convicted of killing Israelis. In response to these actions, rights groups and international figures, including those from the U.S., have voiced concerns over the implications for Palestinian statehood aspirations.

In remote areas, Palestinian Bedouin communities remain notably vulnerable to displacement episodes. Settler violence, settlement advancements, and Israeli land takeovers lead these communities to relocation under pressure insufficient to withstand armed settlers’ influence. Peace Now, an anti-settlement group, notes that a considerable number of outposts have been established post-2023 without Israeli authority permission. Often, these outposts are retroactively legalized.

Amnesty’s investigation covered 27 West Bank hamlets and villages affected by displacement between 2023 and 2025. Interviews with Palestinians, legal professionals, eyewitnesses of settler violence, and the review of 420 videos, alongside analyses of government releases, underpin their findings. Human rights groups assert the global community’s inaction in countering this displacement issue.

Dror Etkes, from the settlement monitoring organization Kerem Navot, highlights a considerable territorial loss for Palestinians. Since October 2023, settlers have appropriated around 12.5% of West Bank land, further constraining Palestinian access.