The United Nations has raised alarm over Israel’s rapid expansion of settlements in the West Bank, highlighting the forced displacement of over 36,000 Palestinians in just one year. In its latest report, the UN rights office warned that the trend reflects “unprecedented” displacement and raises serious concerns about potential ethnic cleansing.
The 12-month review, covering up to October 31, 2025, found that Israel’s accelerated construction and approval of settlements—36,973 housing units in occupied East Jerusalem and roughly 27,200 across the rest of the West Bank—has forced thousands from their homes. During this period, 84 new settlement outposts were established, pushing the total to more than 300.
“The displacement of more than 36,000 Palestinians represents mass expulsions on a scale previously unseen, amounting to unlawful transfer under international humanitarian law,” the report noted. With around three million Palestinians living in the West Bank alongside over 500,000 Israeli settlers, the situation has intensified tensions and violence across the region.
Since the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and the subsequent Gaza War, violence has surged. Palestinian authorities and the UN report a spike in deadly settler attacks, with at least six Palestinians killed since early March. Overall, at least 1,045 Palestinians—both militants and civilians—have been killed in West Bank incidents, while Israel reports 45 fatalities, including soldiers and civilians.
The UN documented 1,732 incidents of settler violence during the reporting period, compared with 1,400 the previous year. Settler actions, often coordinated and largely unchallenged, frequently involve property damage and casualties.
UN rights chief Volker Turk urged Israel to immediately halt settlement expansion, evacuate settlers, end the occupation, and allow displaced Palestinians to return. He stressed that the ongoing forced evictions, land confiscations, and house demolitions “constitute grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention” and, under certain circumstances, may qualify as war crimes or crimes against humanity.
The report also highlighted the heightened risk to Bedouin communities northeast of East Jerusalem, emphasizing the urgent need for international attention to prevent further displacement.
