Israel expanded settlements across the occupied West Bank and displaced more than 36,000 Palestinians over the past year, according to a United Nations report that cites rising violence and land seizures.
A report by the UN Human Rights Office states that Israeli authorities accelerated settlement growth and annexation across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, during the 12 months to 31 October 2025. It links the expansion to forced displacement and a rise in attacks by settlers and security forces.
The report records 1,732 incidents of settler violence during the period, up from 1,400 in the previous year. These incidents include injuries, property damage, and the destruction of homes and farmland.
It states that violence by settlers took place in a “coordinated, strategic and largely unchallenged manner”, with authorities playing a central role in enabling or supporting such actions. It adds that accountability remains limited, which has allowed attacks on Palestinian communities to continue.
The report describes a surge in violence during the olive harvest season in October. It documents 42 attacks in that month alone, which injured 131 Palestinians, including 14 women and a child. The UN says this marks the highest monthly total since records began in 2006.
Daily attacks by armed settlers and soldiers restricted access to land and crops, which the report says made the 2025 harvest season the worst in decades. In several cases, families left their homes after repeated incidents, including harassment and threats.
The report identifies gender-based violence as a factor in some displacements. It states that women and children in certain communities left first, while men stayed behind in an effort to retain land and property.
It warns that displacement patterns in the West Bank mirror those seen in Gaza during the ongoing conflict. The report states that the scale and nature of these movements “appear to indicate a concerted Israeli policy of mass forcible transfer”.
It adds that such actions raise concerns under international law, including the prohibition on the forced transfer of protected populations. The report states that these acts may amount to war crimes and, in certain cases, crimes against humanity.
Particular concern centres on Bedouin communities northeast of East Jerusalem. The report states that settlement plans in these areas place thousands at risk of displacement.
The report also examines legal and administrative changes. It states that the transfer of authority from military to civilian bodies, combined with land confiscation measures, has contributed to what it describes as “systematic discrimination, oppression and violence”.
It adds that these policies violate international prohibitions on racial segregation and apartheid.
Data in the report shows that Israeli authorities advanced or approved 36,973 housing units in settlements in East Jerusalem and about 27,200 units in other parts of the West Bank. It also records the establishment of 84 new settlement outposts during the reporting period.
The UN notes that settlement activity has extended into Area B of the West Bank, which falls under Palestinian Authority jurisdiction under the Oslo agreements.
Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, called on Israel to halt settlement expansion and reverse existing measures. He urged authorities to evacuate settlers and end the occupation.
He also called for displaced Palestinians to return to their homes and for an end to land confiscation, evictions and house demolitions.
HT