UN Report Says Israeli Forces Systematically Destroy Neighborhoods, Forcing Displacement in Gaza

A UN report says the “intensification of attacks, the systematic destruction of entire neighborhoods, and the denial of humanitarian aid seemed to aim at permanent demographic change in Gaza,” and it adds that forced transfers that appear to aim at permanent displacement raise concerns about ethnic cleansing in Gaza and in the West Bank.

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Haaretz

The same UN report describes ongoing killings and mutilations of an unprecedented number of civilians during the period under consideration, October 31, 2024, to November 1, 2025, by Israeli forces, alongside the spread of famine and the destruction of remaining civilian infrastructure.

Haaretz

The report also says patterns of deadly attacks in Gaza have raised “grave concerns that Israeli forces deliberately targeted civilians and civilian property,” and it states such acts would constitute war crimes.

In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the report details “the systematic and illegal use of force by Israeli security forces,” along with widespread arbitrary detention, torture and other ill-treatment of Palestinians in detention, and large-scale illegal demolition of Palestinian homes.

The UN report estimates that at least 463 Palestinians, including 157 children, in the Gaza Strip would have died of hunger during the period under consideration.

It says famine and malnutrition are the direct result of measures taken by the Israeli government, including “blocking the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid to Gaza.”

Haaretz

The report adds that “Any use of famine of the civilian population as a method of warfare constitutes a war crime,” and it says such acts may also constitute crimes against humanity if carried out within the framework of a systematic or widespread attack against a civilian population.

It further states that if carried out with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group, they may also constitute genocide.

On March 17, the UN called on Israel to immediately halt the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, citing an OHCHR report covering November 2024 to October 2025.

Le Monde reports that the OHCHR report says this led to “the displacement of more than 36,000 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank,” which it describes as “constitutes a massive expulsion (...) of unprecedented scope.”

The report notes that the displacements in the occupied West Bank, which coincide with the massive displacement of Palestinians in Gaza, appear to indicate a concerted Israeli policy of massive forcible transfer across the occupied territories, raising concerns about ethnic cleansing.

Le Monde also reports that OHCHR records 1,732 incidents of violence committed by settlers resulting in casualties or material damage, compared with 1,400 during the previous period from November 2023 to the end of October 2024, and it says the violence of the settlers has continued in a coordinated, strategic and largely unpunished manner with Israeli authorities playing a central role.