Ramallah, Sept. 14 (Petra) - Israeli human rights group B’Tselem released a report on Monday outlining that Israel is executing a comprehensive campaign to systematically "eliminate" the Palestinian presence in the occupied West Bank.

The report, titled "The Elimination Project: Israel’s Systematic Dismantling of Palestinian Collective Life in the West Bank," details how measures targeting daily Palestinian life have sharply escalated since late 2022, with a dramatic surge after October 2023.

Based on over 2,000 testimonies, B'Tselem argues these events are not isolated, but part of a coordinated strategy to drive Palestinians off their land while expanding Jewish settlements.

This effort, according to the group, operates across five interconnected fronts: violence and intimidation, movement restrictions, economic strangulation, political and social destruction, and territorial takeover paired with ethnic cleansing.

B'Tselem noted that tactics once framed as "temporary" or "exceptional" have become permanent policy, driven by growing coordination between government bodies, the Israeli military, and armed settler groups. This collaboration facilitates the transfer of land and resources to Israeli control through the expansion of settlements, outposts, and agricultural farms, all backed by state planning, legal, and budgetary frameworks.

The report pointed out that this push accelerated after the current far-right Israeli administration took office, granting political authority and budgets to figures advocating for annexation and displacement. It explicitly identifies Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich’s 2017 "Decisive Plan" as the operational framework guiding current policies.

Additionally, the group reported that military tactics previously reserved for Gaza, including airstrikes, mass home demolitions, and forced displacement, have expanded into the West Bank since October 2023.

B'Tselem characterized the Israeli regime as an apartheid system, warning that documented abuses may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. The center cited the International Court of Justice's July 2024 advisory opinion, which declared Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territories unlawful.

Rejecting partial fixes, like minor checkpoint removals or limited settlement freezes, B'Tselem called for a complete end to military rule and apartheid, urging full political and human rights for Palestinians.

The group called on the international community to meet its moral and legal duties to prevent further violations, stressing that any lasting political resolution must recognize Palestinians' collective right to self-determination.

//Petra// HA

14/09/2026 16:49:46