Israel Accused of Ethnic Cleansing in West Bank by Amnesty International

Amnesty International released a report accusing Israel of conducting a state‑directed campaign of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank’s Area C, which comprises more than 60 % of the occupied territory. The organization says Israeli policies have forced the displacement of roughly 6,000 Palestinians, demolished about 3,000 homes, and targeted Bedouin and herding communities with violence, water‑access restrictions and livestock theft. Settlement activity has surged, with 50,750 new housing units approved and the settlement ministry’s budget rising 122 % to 764 million shekels.

Amnesty calls on governments, including Austria and Germany, to act against the alleged violations of international law, urging an end to annexation steps and the use of “buzz‑words” such as apartheid and ethnic cleansing. German officials such as Julia Duchrow of Amnesty stress the need for concrete political measures, while the Deutsch‑Israelische Gesellschaft criticized Amnesty’s language as one‑sided, defending Israel as a democratic state.

The report notes that the alleged actions contravene UN resolutions and a 2024 International Court of Justice advisory opinion that deem Israel’s occupation illegal. The allegations have sparked debate in European capitals over EU association agreements with Israel and broader settlement policy.