A sweeping Israeli military campaign and settlement drive across the occupied West Bank is imperilling any prospect of Palestinian statehood, the United Nations human rights office warned this week, as operations that displaced scores of families and demolished dozens of structures raise alarm over potential war crimes.
The aggressive expansion comes despite multiple rulings by the International Court of Justice demanding Israel halt settlement activities, evacuate existing settlements, and end its occupation of Palestinian territories—orders that have gone unheeded as settlement growth accelerates at what UN officials describe as an “unprecedented pace.”
Mass Demolitions, Evictions Signal Intensified Campaign
Israeli security forces demolished 70 Palestinian structures in a large-scale operation targeting the Kafr Aqab neighbourhood and areas near Qalandiya refugee camp, apparently clearing ground for major settlement projects, UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told reporters in Geneva on Thursday.
The demolitions followed a January 12 campaign in occupied East Jerusalem that saw forces raid dozens of homes and shops in the Shu’fat refugee camp, detaining at least 25 Palestinians, confiscating goods, and seizing 10 private vehicles.
Since January 23, Israeli authorities have issued eviction orders affecting 22 Palestinian homes in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City and in the Silwan neighbourhoods of Al-Bustan and Batn Al Hawa. The moves follow similar notices over the past two months that have left hundreds of Palestinians at risk of forced displacement across the broader Silwan area.
War Crimes Warning
Al-Kheetan issued a stark legal warning about the operations: “The unlawful deportation or transfer of a population living under occupation is a war crime, and, under specific circumstances, may constitute a crime against humanity.”
The spokesperson pointed to what he called a coordinated pattern of displacement, with “relentless violence by Israeli settlers—with the support and participation of Israeli security forces, as well as movement restrictions—accelerating the forcible transfer of Palestinians.”
International Law Violations Continue Unchecked
The settlement expansion directly contravenes international law and multiple ICJ rulings that have crystallised the legal consensus against Israeli settlement activity. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk renewed his call for an immediate end to Israel’s occupation.
“Further expansion of settlements will only entrench the racial segregation against the Palestinian people,” Al-Kheetan said, calling on states to act immediately to halt what he termed “aggressive Israeli expansion of illegal settlements.”
The UN office stressed that accountability must be achieved “for all the victims of unlawful killings and other human rights violations,” warning that the new operations and settlement plans “risk seriously undermining the viability of a Palestinian state and the realisation of the Palestinians’ right to self-determination.”
The developments underscore the deepening crisis in the occupied territories as settlement activity continues despite international condemnation and legal rulings declaring it illegal under international law.
