Gaza: A UN Human Rights Office report released today raises concerns over ethnic cleansing by Israeli authorities in both Gaza and the West Bank, amid increased attacks and forcible transfers that appear aimed at a permanent displacement of Palestinians throughout the occupied territories.
According to Emirates News Agency, during the reporting period from 1 November 2024 to 31 October 2025, there were intensified attacks, the methodical destruction of entire neighborhoods, and the denial of humanitarian assistance in Gaza. These actions appear to aim at a permanent demographic shift in the region, raising concerns over ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank.
In the Gaza Strip, the report details the continued killing and maiming of unprecedented numbers of civilians by Israeli forces over the course of the reporting period. Additionally, there is the spread of famine and the destruction of the remaining civilian infrastructure, which imposes conditions of life increasingly incompatible with the continued existence of Palestinians in Gaza as a group.
The report also highlights patterns of deadly attacks in Gaza, raising grave concerns that Israeli forces intentionally targeted civilians and civilian objects. It suggests that these attacks were launched knowing that civilian harm would be excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage. Such acts would constitute war crimes, the report underlined.
In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the report details the systematic unlawful use of force by Israeli security forces, the widespread arbitrary detention, torture, and other ill-treatment of Palestinians in detention. There is also extensive unlawful demolition of Palestinian homes, which, according to the report, is used to systematically discriminate, oppress, control, and dominate the Palestinian people.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Trk emphasized the importance of accountability, stating, "Impunity is not abstract - it kills. Accountability is indispensable. It is the prerequisite for a just and durable peace in Palestine and Israel."