#Palestine / Report: Israel committing war crime of forcible transfer, ethnic cleansing practices in Occupied West Bank
A new report by Yesh Din & Physicians for Human Rights Israel documents the forcible transfer of 7 Palestinian shepherding communities (+1000 people) in the occupied West Bank.
Findings indicate this constitutes a war crime under international law, achieved through systematic state policies & settler violence. The report alleges these actions amount to practices of ethnic cleansing.
The investigation highlights the cooperation between the Israeli military (#IDF) and settlers, violating international humanitarian law regarding the protection of occupied populations and creating an environment where Palestinians are forced from their land.
On Escorting and Joining Attacks (Page 55, The Military Section): "Soldiers often escort and protect settlers who attack Palestinians, do nothing to prevent or stop the violence, and with increasing frequency, join the attacks."
On Direct Cooperation and Affinity (Page 55, The Military Section): "However, there is a strong affinity between the Israeli military and Israeli settlers in the OPT, reflected in official policies, local initiatives by soldiers (some of whom are settlers themselves), and close cooperation."
On State Support (Page 51, Israeli Policy Section): "State authorities – government ministries and elected officials, the army, the Civil Administration, and the police – support and assist shepherding outposts, using a wide variety of means, in the name of common political goals."
Eyewitness Account of State Support (Page 30, Al-Mu'arrajat, Quote from Salman Ka'abneh): "...until the settler scourge descended upon us, and the army, police and Civil Administration fully support them."
On Joint Actions and Blurred Lines (Page 32, Wadi a-Seeq Section): "Soldiers and armed settlers, some in military uniforms, arrived at Wadi a-Seeq in several vehicles. They fired in the air, went into tents, beat residents, threatened them, and damaged property." and later on the same page: "Over the course of that day, soldiers and settlers detained and handcuffed three Palestinians from Wadi a-Seeq, stripped them, beat them for hours..."
Palestinian Perspective on Siding with Settlers (Page 57, The Israel Police Section, Quote from Na'im Abu ‘Eid): "When we call the police, they come with the settlers and soldiers and sit down to have coffee with them. They don't protect us. Complaints are useless. The police and the army only protect the settlers."
Full report
English [PDF] https://www.phr.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Displacedcommunities_ENG.pdf
Arabic [PDF] https://www.phr.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Displacedcommunities_ARB.pdf
Hebrew https://www.phr.org.il/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Displacedcommunities_HEB.pdf
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#YeshDin #PHRil
#Israel #WarCrimes #ForcibleTransfer #EthnicCleansing
#SettlerViolence #IDF #OccupiedWestBank #WestBank
