HRW calls for sanctions as settler attacks displace 5,900 West Bank Palestinians
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Human Rights Watch calls on governments to sanction Israel and suspend military aid, accusing state-backed settlers of forcing the displacement of dozens of Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank. The rights group's report released Thursday says settler attacks, demolitions and evictions have fully or partially displaced 5,900 Palestinians from 107 communities since January 2023. It finds Israeli authorities arm, fund and grant impunity to settlers, with attacks spiking in the first two months of the war on Iran.
Key Facts
- HRW investigated settler attacks in seven West Bank communities in April and May, including Al-Mughayyir, Mikhmas, Taybeh, Jalud, Qaryut, Khirbet Hamsa and Muarrajat East.
- OCHA research cited by HRW found 107 communities comprising 5,900 Palestinians have been completely or partially displaced by settler violence since January 2023.
- The Israeli military expelled another 32,000 Palestinians from homes in the occupied West Bank since January 2025, emptying the Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams camps.
- Settler attacks spiked in the first two months of the US-Israel war on Iran, with reported abuses including killings of children, sexual violence, arson and arbitrary detention.
- The report accuses Israeli authorities of arming, funding and granting impunity to settlers who carry out attacks.
The HRW Report
Human Rights Watch released its report on Thursday, based on investigations in seven West Bank communities in April and May. The investigated communities included Al-Mughayyir, Mikhmas and Taybeh in Ramallah governorate; Jalud and Qaryut in Nablus governorate; and Khirbet Hamsa and Muarrajat East in the Jordan Valley. The report says Israeli authorities arm, fund and grant impunity to settlers who attack Palestinians, with soldiers sometimes acting alongside armed settlers or failing to intervene. Sarah Sanbar, HRW acting Israel and Palestine researcher, said the government and settlers share the goal of "maximum land and minimum Palestinians." Settler attacks have been growing since the current Israeli government took office in December 2022, the report adds.
Forced Displacement
OCHA research cited in the HRW report found more Palestinians were forcibly displaced by settler attacks, demolitions and evictions in the first four months of 2026 than in all of 2025. Since January 2023, 107 communities comprising 5,900 Palestinians have been completely or partially displaced as a result of settler violence. The Israeli military expelled another 32,000 Palestinians from their homes in the occupied West Bank since January 2025. The expulsions essentially emptied the Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps.
Sanctions Call
HRW called on governments to impose sanctions on Israel and suspend military aid. The report links escalating settler attacks and the rapid expansion of settlements, illegal under international law, to the forced displacement of Palestinians. Settler violence spiked in the first two months of the US and Israel's war on Iran, with reported abuses including killings of children, assaults, sexual violence, physical and mental abuse, arbitrary detention, arson, property demolition and theft.
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HRW calls for sanctions as settler attacks displace 5,900 West Bank Palestinians
