A Palestinian farmer sits under an olive tree.Image: keystone
Mar 17, 2026, 2:16 p.mMar 17, 2026, 2:16 p.m
Israeli settler activities in the occupied West Bank have increased significantly, according to a report by the UN Human Rights Office.
The activities indicated coordinated actions and an Israeli policy of mass displacement, “raising fears of ethnic cleansing,” the report said. The unlawful relocation of protected persons constitutes a war crime.
The office documented a total of 1,732 cases of settler violence in the twelve months up to the end of October 2025, after 1,400 cases in the previous twelve months. The report covers the period up to October 2025, but does not cover the period after that.
Palestinian residents are constantly harassed and intimidated, and their homes and farmlands are being destroyed, said Ajith Sunghay, head of the UN human rights office for the occupied Palestinian territories.
Israeli authorities involved
“Settler violence continued in a coordinated, strategic and largely unchallenged manner,” the report said. “The Israeli authorities played a central role by giving instructions, participating and enabling this behavior.” Many settlers were equipped with weapons and trained by the state.
In October 2025, there were 42 attacks by settlers at the start of the olive harvest. 131 Palestinians were injured, more than ever in a month since 2006. In occupied East Jerusalem alone, Israeli authorities allowed the construction of almost 37,000 new apartments and houses, as well as 27,200 in the rest of the West Bank. (sda/dpa/nil)