Amnesty International announced on Tuesday that the massive escalation of state-backed Israeli settler violence aims to "ethnic cleanse" Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, considering their attacks not as isolated acts but as a central policy of Israel.
Central Policy
This came in a statement by the organization commenting on attacks carried out by Israeli settlers in recent days against Palestinian farmers in the Ramallah area, which also targeted European diplomats and an American photojournalist working for the "Washington Post".
Sanctions and Measures
The organization called on countries around the world to impose sanctions on Israeli officials involved in serious violations of international law, ban trade with Israeli settlements, and stop the supply of arms and security equipment to Israel.
Criticism of Inaction
The organization's regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, Hiba Maraief, said the organization sounded the alarm regarding the massive rise in state-driven settler violence against Palestinians, which seeks ethnic cleansing.
She added that this escalation in violence has been fueled by the international community's continuous failure to take meaningful action against the system that allows the persecution of Palestinians to continue.
Distortion of the Truth
Maraief stressed that settler attacks are not isolated acts, but a central policy of the Israeli state, and called on countries to take concrete measures to fulfill their obligations under international law and avoid complicity in violations.
She emphasized the need to halt all forms of trade, investment, and cooperation that contribute to the continuation of the illegal occupation, apartheid, and the ongoing campaign of ethnic cleansing.
Maraief criticized attempts by senior Israeli officials and election candidates from various political spectrums to portray settler attacks as "acts committed by a limited number of individuals."
She considered those attempts a "blatant distortion of the truth," in light of what she described as "state-supported brutality."
She affirmed that the recent attacks require a "strong response" from countries that declare their opposition to Israel's annexation of Palestinian lands, settler expansion, and state-backed settler terrorism.
The organization stated that its report issued in June 2026 documented the escalation of Israeli authorities, since late 2022, of a state-led and state-sponsored campaign of ethnic cleansing against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Source: Anadolu Agency
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