The United Nations has issued a stark warning that current developments in Gaza and the West Bank point to the risk of ethnic cleansing, as violence, forced transfers and destruction continue to reshape daily life across the occupied territory. The organisation cautioned that what is unfolding may reflect a broader strategy aimed at permanently uprooting the Palestinian population and redefining the demographic landscape.

According to the findings, patterns observed in Gaza go beyond episodic violence. Entire residential areas have been levelled, civilian infrastructure has been systematically damaged, and access to humanitarian assistance has been obstructed. These conditions, the report noted, have rendered ordinary survival increasingly impossible, creating pressure on residents to flee or face intolerable living circumstances. Accountability, the UN stressed, must be central to any future rebuilding effort, warning that impunity entrenches instability rather than resolving it.

In the West Bank, similar concerns were raised over the use of unlawful force, widespread arrests and the demolition of homes. Thousands of Palestinians have been detained since late 2023, with testimonies describing severe mistreatment in custody. The report also highlighted a surge in settler violence, alongside the growing overlap between armed settlers and uniformed forces during displacement operations, further entrenching a climate of fear and coercion.

The assessment traced a notable shift in the UN’s own language over time. What began as warnings of war crimes evolved into formal references to genocide by late 2025, before culminating in explicit concerns about ethnic cleansing in early 2026. This progression coincided with mounting pressure on humanitarian institutions, including legislative efforts targeting UNRWA and the killing of hundreds of its staff members in Gaza, developments that the UN described as deeply alarming.