More than 37,000 Palestinians were displaced in the occupied West Bank in 2025, marking a record high as settler violence reached unprecedented levels, according to newly released United Nations humanitarian data.

A UN spokesperson highlighted that the territory experienced exceptional levels of forced displacement and settler attacks over the past year, with the majority of displacements resulting from operations targeting refugee camps. In northern West Bank, over 1,800 incidents involving settlers against Palestinians were documented, causing injuries and property damage, the highest number ever recorded by the UN and marking the ninth consecutive annual increase.

The surge in violence comes as Israeli authorities continue to permit settlers to carry firearms in the occupied West Bank, while over 700,000 Israeli settlers live in more than 230 settlements established since the 1967 occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. The international community considers these settlements illegal under international law and the Geneva Conventions.

Palestinian authorities report that Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 1,109 Palestinians in the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, and injured nearly 11,000. Since October 2023, more than 21,000 Palestinians have been detained. The International Court of Justice ruled in July 2024 that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem.

The ongoing genocidal war against Gaza has also exacerbated tensions, with violence spilling over into the West Bank and significantly affecting Palestinian communities’ safety, livelihoods, and access to basic services.