B’Tselem accuses Israeli policies in West Bank of targeting Palestinian existence
B’Tselem accuses Israeli policies in West Bank of targeting Palestinian existence
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The Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem said Monday that Israeli actions in the occupied West Bank represent part of what it described as a wider effort to eliminate Palestinians as a people.
In a report titled “The Elimination Project,” the group said five interconnected policies — violence, forced displacement, restrictions on movement, economic pressure and the weakening of Palestinian social and political structures — have contributed to worsening conditions for Palestinians in the territory.
The report highlighted attacks by Israeli settlers and military forces, saying they had resulted in the deaths of 1,108 Palestinians since October 7, 2023. It also described the displacement of Palestinian communities in the West Bank, including small rural areas that residents left following violence or home demolitions.
B’Tselem field director Kareem Jubran pointed to movement restrictions as another major factor, citing military checkpoints and hundreds of barriers and gates placed near Palestinian towns and villages.
The organization’s executive director, Yuli Novak, said these policies have weakened the conditions needed for Palestinians to maintain their communities. She described the situation as part of a long-term political project, while stressing that the group’s terminology does not deny Jewish historical ties to the land.
B’Tselem said the current Israeli government has accelerated existing policies, noting that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration has approved or legalized a record number of settlements in the West Bank since taking office. Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank are considered illegal under international law by most of the international community, while Israel disputes this position.
More than 500,000 Israeli settlers currently live in the West Bank alongside around three million Palestinians.
