Israeli military attacks and the forced removal of Palestinians are raising serious fears of ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank, according to a new report from the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR). The study looks at the period from November 2024 to the end of October 2025 and pulls together UN monitoring, government data and reports from NGOs. It says the destruction of whole neighbourhoods, combined with blocked aid and forced transfers, appears aimed at permanently changing who can live in Gaza.
The report describes how large numbers of civilians have been killed or injured, while hospitals, schools and homes have been destroyed. It warns that the living conditions now imposed on Palestinians are becoming incompatible with their continued existence in Gaza as a group. At the same time, famine has taken hold, with hundreds of people — including many children — reported to have died from hunger and related causes.
According to OHCHR, Israeli restrictions on the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid played a central role in creating these conditions. The office stresses that using starvation as a weapon against civilians is a war crime. If done as part of a deliberate effort to destroy a national or ethnic group, it could also amount to crimes against humanity or even genocide.
In the West Bank, the report points to widespread use of excessive force, arbitrary arrests, torture in detention and large‑scale property destruction by Israeli forces. It says these tactics are being used to control and dominate the Palestinian population. The report also condemns Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups for holding Israeli and foreign hostages since 7 October 2023 and exposing them to torture, sexual and gender-based violence and inhuman conditions.
OHCHR says a deep culture of impunity allows these abuses to continue. It calls on states to stop supplying weapons that could be used to commit violations, and insists that accountability for all parties is essential for any lasting peace. The report also urges that Palestinians be directly involved in decisions on Gaza’s reconstruction and future governance.
