Israel intensifying settlement expansion in occupied West Bank, warns UN

Nablus city in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Reuters

Live updates: Follow the latest on Israel-Gaza

Israel has significantly expanded settlements in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, moving its own people into the territory in breach of international law, the UN human rights office said on Tuesday.

The findings, set for presentation to the UN Human Rights Council this month, come as fears of annexation grow, spurred by US policy changes under President Donald Trump and the establishment of new settler outposts.

“Israel must immediately and completely cease all settlement activities and evacuate all settlers, stop the forcible transfer of the Palestinian population, and prevent and punish attacks by its security forces and settlers,” said UN High Commissioner Volker Turk.

According to the UN report, which uses Israeli NGOs as references, steps have been taken towards the construction of more than 20,000 housing units in new or existing Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem, while 214 Palestinian properties and structures have been demolished in the territory. More than 10,300 units within existing Israeli settlements in the rest of the West Bank are in the pipeline and an unprecedented 49 new Israeli outposts have been established.

About 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which were captured by Israel in 1967.

Israeli settlers hold a protest march from Tapuach Junction to the Israeli settler outpost of Evyatar, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Reuters

Most countries consider Israel's settlements on territory seized in war to be illegal. Israel disputes this, citing historical and biblical ties to the land.

“Dozens of unauthorised roads have been paved by settlers and the army around settlements and outposts, helping to connect them while blocking Palestinians’ movement and enabling further seizure of their land,” the report states.

A total of 1,779 Palestinian structures were demolished in the West Bank for “lack of building permits”, which are almost impossible to obtain for Palestinians, resulting in the forcible displacement of 4,527 people, according to the report. The number forcibly displaced by demolitions rose by nearly 200 per cent on the previous reporting period.

“The transfer by Israel of parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies amounts to a war crime,” Mr Turk said, urging the international community to take meaningful action on Israel’s advancing settlement of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.