Amnesty: Settler Terrorism is Israel's 'Central Policy'
Amnesty International describes settler violence as a central Israeli policy aimed at ethnic cleansing and calls for international sanctions
Translated by Qiyas from النهار — Original source
London – Agencies: Amnesty International warned yesterday that the “massive escalation of state-backed settler violence” aims at the “ethnic cleansing” of Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, asserting that “their attacks are not isolated acts but a central policy of Israel.” The organization called on countries worldwide to impose sanctions on Israeli officials involved in serious violations of international law, ban trade with Israeli settlements, and halt the supply of arms and security equipment to Israel. This came in a statement by the organization in response to 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.
Hiba Marayef, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said: “Amnesty International has long sounded the alarm over the dramatic rise in state-driven settler violence against Palestinians, which has sought, through terror-inducing means, to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from the occupied West Bank.” She added that “this escalation in violence has been fueled by the international community’s persistent failure to take meaningful action against the system that enables the ongoing persecution of Palestinians.” She emphasized that “settler attacks are not isolated acts, but a central policy of the Israeli state.”
Amnesty urged countries to take concrete measures to fulfill their obligations under international law and to avoid complicity in Israeli violations and crimes against Palestinians. It stressed the necessity of halting all forms of trade, investment, and cooperation “that contribute to the continuation of the illegal occupation, apartheid, and the ongoing campaign of ethnic cleansing.”
Marayef criticized attempts by senior Israeli officials and election candidates from across the political spectrum to portray settler attacks as “acts committed by a limited number of individuals.” She considered such attempts a “blatant distortion of the truth,” given what she described as “state-supported brutality.” She affirmed that the recent attacks warrant a “strong response” from countries that declare their opposition to Israel’s annexation of Palestinian territories, settlement expansion, and state-backed settler terrorism.
The organization stated that its report, issued in June 2026, documented the escalation by Israeli authorities, since late 2022, of a state-led and state-sponsored campaign of ethnic cleansing against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. It explained that the campaign included terrorizing thousands of Palestinians from Bedouin and pastoral communities in Area C, forcibly displacing them to permanently alter the demographic composition of the region. Amnesty added that Israeli authorities, in their push to formally annex Palestinian lands, have accelerated settlement expansion and tightened restrictions on Palestinian movement. It also significantly increased financial, logistical, legal, and political support for settlements and outposts.
The organization accused Israeli authorities of distributing weapons to settlers, encouraging, facilitating, and turning a blind eye to their attacks, considering them a deliberate tool for displacing Palestinians. Amnesty warned that the Palestinian olive harvest season is turning into a season of terror and economic losses due to settler terrorism and Israeli military restrictions on farmers’ access to their lands. Amnesty International called on countries to impose targeted sanctions on Israeli officials for whom there is reliable evidence of involvement in serious violations of international law.
It also called for a ban on trade with Israeli settlements and for a comprehensive embargo on the supply of arms and security equipment to Israel. It stressed the need to suspend all forms of cooperation that contribute to the continuation of the illegal Israeli occupation, and to support international justice and accountability mechanisms, including ongoing investigations before the International Criminal Court. It warned against relying solely on condemnations and statements without taking practical measures to halt the violations.
