Israel is carrying out a campaign of ethnic cleansing against Palestinian Bedouin and herding communities in the occupied West Bank. Between January 2023 and April 2026, 117 communities faced full or partial displacement, and around 5,910 people have been forced from their homes.
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🎬 Watch: Hear from Budour Hassan, Amnesty International Researcher, on our latest report, ‘Erasing anything Palestinian’.
What’s happening in the West Bank right now?
Israel is carrying out a systematic campaign of ethnic cleansing against Palestinian Bedouin and herding communities in the occupied West Bank, which Israel intends to formally annex under Israeli law as concluded in Amnesty International’s recent report.
Amnesty’s researchers and Digital Evidence Lab have verified evidence that entire communities in Area C of the occupied West Bank are now being uprooted or pushed to the brink of forcible transfer. Israel is committing grave violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, including the war crime of unlawful transfer or deportation and the crime against humanity of forcible transfer.
Muntasir al-Maliki, a resident of Kufr Malik
“What is happening right now is [the] erasure of humans, trees and stones, and anything that is Palestinian, by settlers under the support of the military.“
Palestinian families have lived for generations in the occupied West Bank village of Khirbet Zanuta (Zanuta)*, sustaining themselves through herding, farming and dairy production. The village was designated as part of Area C under the 1995 Oslo II Accords, placing it under full Israeli military and administrative control. Today, Zanuta is being eaten away by Israeli outposts and settlements and destroyed by state-sponsored violence and terror.
Israel’s forcible transfer of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank is a long-standing, deliberate policy of successive Israeli governments and a core pillar of the system of apartheid imposed over decades. However, since its formation in late December 2022, the current Israeli government has accelerated its policy to ethnically cleanse Area C of the occupied West Bank.
Through illegal settlement expansion, state-sponsored settler violence, and apartheid-driven policies, Israeli authorities seek to formalise, under Israeli law, the unlawful annexation of Area C of the occupied West Bank and forcibly remove Palestinians from it.
Amnesty International uses the term ethnic cleansing in this report to describe a deliberate pattern of conduct aimed at permanently removing Palestinian Bedouin and herding communities from specific areas of the occupied West Bank, in particular Area C. While ethnic cleansing is not recognized as an specific crime under international law, Amnesty International uses the term in line with the UN Commission of Experts on Former Yugoslavia’s definition, which describes it as “a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas.”
While the report covers the period between December 2022 and December 2025, these appalling crimes are ongoing and are part and parcel of Israel’s system of apartheid, as shown by Amnesty International’s continuous documentation and reporting of the situation on the ground.
Read the full summary of the report findings at this link.
Alongside members of the Palestinian and Jewish communities, we’re campaigning to sanction Israel and the protection of civilians in the West Bank. At this moment, as we witness an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in the West Bank and Gaza at large, the actions and advocacy of everyone are critical. It’s because of everyday people standing up for human rights, the Australian government has taken few important steps, from calling for ceasefire at the UN, announcing aid, and sanctioning some Israeli officials. There’s so much more to do, but together, we can do it.
What needs to be done?
Amnesty International is calling on all parties to abide by international law, and make every effort to avoid forcible civilian removal and bloodshed. Neither justice nor security can be achieved by entire communities being uprooted or pushed to bring of forcible transfer in the West Bank. Amnesty International is urging the Australia Government to:
- Impose targeted sanctions including travel bans and asset freezes, against Israeli leaders directly implicated in Israel’s ethnic cleansing campaign. Noting that the government has already taken this action against ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the application of sanctions should be extended to Benjamin Netanyahu, Orit Strock and Israel Katz, as well as former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
- Declare that Israel’s impunity for its international crimes against Palestinians must end and proactively pursue their accountability for the war crime of unlawful transfer, the crimes against humanity of forcible transfer and apartheid, and the crime of genocide, through domestic and international justice mechanisms.
- Ban any trade, investment or assistance that contributes to or is directly linked to Israel’s unlawful occupation, system of apartheid, and ethnic cleansing including:
- Israeli settlements, state institutions including government ministries such as the Ministries of Agriculture, Settlements and National Missions, Defence, Transport and Finance, all of which are implicated in the establishment and maintenance of illegal settlements, outposts and their associated regime.
- Regulating companies domiciled in Australia to prevent them from contributing to or being directly linked by prohibiting operation in settlements or trade in Israeli settlements’ goods, or with companies either domiciled in settlements or otherwise implicated in the development or sustainability of settlements in the OPT.
- Ban arms transfers
- Ban the direct and indirect supply, sale or transfer to Israel of all arms, defence materiel, and security equipment, including related technologies, parts and components, technical assistance, training, financial or other assistance.
- Prohibit the transit and transshipment of these goods through their jurisdictions (ports, airports, airspace or territory) bound for Israel.
- Intervene through diplomatic channels and missions to monitor and support Palestinian communities to prevent their uprooting and facilitate the return of those forcibly transferred.
What can you do?
1. Stay Informed and Share the Knowledge
UNDERSTAND THE ETHNIC CLEANSING
Read the executive summary of Amnesty’s report: Israel’s ethnic cleansing of West Bank Palestinian communities
STAY INFORMED AND GO DEEPER
Our responding to the genocide in Gaza toolkit has a good resource on ‘how to combat misinformation“, a list of Palestinian and Jewish community organisations to follow, and our guide to having structured conversations with friends, family and colleagues.
For the West Bank specifically: Amplifying what is happening on the ground can be a transformative way to create empathy and understanding. Read the executive summary of the report and follow our social channels for updates, and share the stories of the communities named in it, Zanuta and Kufr Malik among them, so the ethnic cleansing in the West Bank is seen and named.
2. Take Direct Action
Australia must do everything in its power to help end this crisis by taking tangible steps.
Take the actions below today and call for Australia to stop Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Palestinian Bedouin and herding communities in the West Bank:
- Sign the Petition so we can handover your signatures to the government: Australia must sanction Israel now
- Email the Foreign Minister Penny Wong and your Federal Member of Parliament (MP) directly demanding action now
- Engage with your MP by tagging them on social media, calling or dropping into their office, or requesting a meeting with your MP
- Ask your MP to publicly back the Red Lines Package, the four bills that would stop Australia funding, arming or investing in illegal settlements, war crimes or genocide
- Ask your state or territory government to divest and stop procuring from complicit companies. Amnesty has a drafted letter and a full divestment toolkit you can download and use
THE ASK: WHAT WE WANT YOUR MP TO DO
Whether you are emailing, calling, commenting or sitting across a table from them, keep the ask the same. Repetition across a lot of constituents is what makes an MP move. Find your representatives here.
Ask One: Sanction and hold to account.
Extend targeted sanctions, including travel bans and asset freezes, to all Israeli officials directly implicated in the ethnic cleansing of the West Bank. Pursue accountability for the war crime of unlawful transfer, the crimes against humanity of forcible transfer and apartheid, and the crime of genocide, through domestic and international justice mechanisms. Australia has already sanctioned two ministers, which proves the mechanism exists and works. The argument now is about consistency, not capability.
Ask Two: Back the Red Lines Package.
Four bills that would stop Australia funding, arming or investing in illegal settlements, war crimes or genocide, anywhere in the world. Ask your MP or Senator to state publicly that they will support the package, and to say so in writing to you.
Ask Three: Divest and stop procuring.
For state and territory MPs, and for federal MPs on the Future Fund question. Governments should divest from companies found to be complicit in these violations and cease procurement from them until those companies can show they are not contributing to Israel’s genocide and illegal occupation.
What a good outcome looks like
- A written response, not a form letter. Ask for it and follow up if you do not get one within two weeks.
- A commitment to raise the sanctions and Red Lines asks directly with the Foreign Minister or the relevant state minister, in writing.
- A public statement, a social post, a speech in the chamber, or a question on notice. Public positions are harder to walk back.
- A named staffer contact and a date for the next conversation. That is the relationship, and the relationship is the point.
Tell us how it went. After any MP contact, email ashra.anver@amnesty.org.au with the MP’s name, what you asked, and what they said. We track this across electorates so we know where the movement is, and so no one is doing this in the dark.
3. Join the movement
BECOME AN OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY REPRESENTATIVE WITH AMNESTY
As the crisis escalates, with a rising death toll and deepening human rights abuses, the call for committed advocates has never been more urgent. Amnesty International Australia invites you to take a stand against injustice and be part of a powerful movement to uphold the rights and dignity of those affected. This is your chance to make a real difference as an Occupied Palestinian Territory Representative. As an integral part of our campaign, we’re on the lookout for dedicated activists across Australia to step up as Representatives. Your mission? To be the driving force behind organising and mobilising efforts in your region.
Express your interest and join the movement here. Be part of the change! Note: Your dedication is what shapes our impact. Tell us what you want to work on, and let’s make a difference together.
Our reps have already achieved incredible milestones, from coordinating national protests that brought together thousands to hosting local educational events that highlight the crisis to joining our movement online. Here’s how you can contribute:
- Create local events to raise awareness and make impact
- Mobilise communities to attend webinars, protests and events
- Collaborate with stakeholders and Palestinians on the ground
- Provide organising suggestions tailored to your region’s needs
- Coordinate and lead actions in your region
Please email ashra.anver@amnesty.org.au if you have any questions or need information.
SHOW UP IN SOLIDARITY
Your presence at rallies and vigils organised by Palestinian and Jewish community members is a show of unity and of power. Before you go, read the staying safe at protest guidance in our responding to the genocide in Gaza toolkit.
Thank you for all your actions and continued support for our work!
Thanks to the relentless pressure of people like you – marching in the streets, signing petitions, emailing and calling politicians – the Australian Government in a significant move, reinstated funding to the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) — the lifeline for millions of Palestinians — after an initial suspension in February 2024.
Since winning a second term in May 2025, the Labor Government has taken further steps:
- Imposing targeted sanctions for the first time against Israeli officials Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir directly implicated in Israel’s ethnic cleansing campaign.
- Signing joint international statements condemning Israeli atrocities, and
- Increasing aid to help alleviate suffering in Gaza.
- Recognising the State of Palestine
These shifts would not have happened without the people-powered movement demanding justice for Palestine.
These are important steps — but they are not enough.
The Australian Government continues to fall short on key issues of justice and accountability. It needs to:
- Sanction all of the key leaders directly implicated.
- acknowledge the situation in West Bank as ethnic cleansing, despite overwhelming evidence, and the situation in Gaza as genocide despite clear finding by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in February 2024 that the risk of genocide is “real and imminent.”
- address the root causes of violence — including Israel’s system of apartheid and its brutal, decades-long military occupation of the Palestinian Territory.
- stop the transfer of weapons and weapons components — directly or indirectly — to Israel. Australia’s opaque arms export system and the lack of transparency is deeply alarming — and must change.
Under international law, all governments — including Australia — have a duty to prevent the war crime of unlawful transfer, crimes against humanity of forcible transfer and apartheid, and the crime of genocide. That means, Australia must take urgent action.
Australia must no longer enable impunity. Business as usual is not an option.
Around the world, we are seeing governments — including those that once unconditionally supported Israel — begin to reconsider. The tide is turning. We must seize this moment to demand more than statements of concern. We must demand bold, concrete action from our government.
Your voice has already made a difference. Let’s keep going!
