The United Nations Human Rights Office has reported a significant expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank in violation of international law.
The findings, covering the period from November 1, 2023, to October 31, 2024, were released on Tuesday and are set to be presented to the U.N. Human Rights Council later this month.
The report highlights “significant” settlement growth in the West Bank, including East al-Quds, which Palestinians seek as the capital of their future independent state.
It references data from Israeli organizations revealing plans for tens of thousands of housing units in both new and existing settlements.
The expansion has fueled growing concerns among Palestinians of annexation, especially as U.S. policy shifts under President Donald Trump have paved the way for new settler outposts in areas earmarked for a future Palestinian state.
U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk condemned the Israeli settlement activities. “The transfer by Israel of parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies amounts to a war crime.”
He called on the international community to take meaningful action and urged Israel to cease settlement activities, evacuate settlers, halt the forcible transfer of Palestinians, and address attacks on Palestinians by the settlers and Israeli forces.
Currently, around 700,000 Israeli settlers reside among 2.7 million Palestinians in the occupied West Bank and East al-Quds—territories seized by Israel in the 1967 war.
Most countries and the United Nations view Israel’s settlements as illegal under international law.
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