Daijiworld Media Network - Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Sep 15: Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem has accused Israel of pursuing a systematic campaign to dismantle Palestinian society and displace Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, saying violence, movement restrictions, economic pressure and territorial seizures are being used as interconnected tools.
In a comprehensive report released on Monday, B’Tselem described what it calls an “elimination project” aimed at making Palestinian life increasingly difficult and weakening the conditions necessary for Palestinians to remain in the occupied territory.
The organisation said the campaign involves several interconnected measures, including settler and military violence, restrictions on Palestinian movement, economic controls, disruption of social and political life, land seizures and the expansion of Israeli settlements.
According to B’Tselem, these measures should not be viewed as isolated incidents but as part of a broader system designed to fragment Palestinian communities and consolidate Israeli control over the West Bank.
The report points to an escalation in violence and displacement since October 2023. It says more than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed and 64 Palestinian communities have been displaced since then, while thousands of people have lost access to essential services.
B’Tselem also highlighted restrictions on roads and movement, including checkpoints and physical barriers, as well as economic measures that have contributed to worsening living conditions and rising unemployment among Palestinians.
The organisation said settlement expansion has further contributed to the fragmentation of Palestinian territory. According to the report, Israeli settlements now cover about 18% of the West Bank.
The report places particular emphasis on violence by Israeli settlers and the displacement of Palestinian communities, arguing that such actions are helping alter the demographic and territorial character of the West Bank.
B’Tselem’s findings come amid growing international concern over settlement expansion and settler violence. Amnesty International has separately accused Israel of carrying out an ethnic-cleansing campaign targeting Palestinian Bedouin and herding communities in parts of the occupied West Bank, particularly Area C. It said its research documented forced displacement and settlement expansion between 2023 and 2025.
The Israeli government has consistently rejected accusations that its policies constitute ethnic cleansing or a systematic campaign to remove Palestinians, and says its security measures are necessary to protect Israelis.
The latest B’Tselem report adds to mounting international scrutiny of Israel’s policies in the West Bank, where settlement expansion, Palestinian displacement and settler violence have become increasingly prominent issues in the debate over the future of the territory and prospects for a two-state solution.