Amnesty accuses Israel's government of 'ethnic cleansing' of Palestinians : NPR

Key Points:

• Amnesty International accused Israel of conducting a state-sanctioned campaign of "ethnic cleansing" aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians from the occupied West Bank to annex the territory, based on a 149-page report.
• The report highlights that settler violence, supported by the Israeli government, has led to the displacement of thousands of Palestinians, with over 100 villages partially or fully emptied between January 2023 and April 2026, according to U.N. data.
• Israeli authorities, dominated by settler-supporting politicians, have advanced settlement expansion and legislative measures to extend Israeli law over settlement areas, while Palestinian communities, especially Bedouin herders in remote areas, face heightened vulnerability to displacement.
• Despite international condemnation and the illegality of settlements under international law, Israel views the West Bank as disputed territory and has not responded to the ethnic cleansing allegations, while the global community has been criticized for failing to halt the displacement.
• Since the October 2023 Hamas attack, settlers have reportedly taken control of about 12.5% of West Bank land, further restricting Palestinian access and safety, with many new settler outposts established without official permission but often legalized retroactively.