In a new publication released yesterday Monday, 18 September 2023, B’Tselem determines that Israel is carrying out a forcible transfer. It works to make the lives of Palestinians in communities located in areas it wishes to take over unbearable forcing them to leave their homes and lands.

“For years, Israel has been taking a series of measures to make the lives of dozens of Palestinian communities across the West Bank miserable and bitter, with the aim of forcing their residents to leave their places of residence, to achieve its ambition to seize land,” B’Tselem stated.

B’Tselem also confirmed that the current Israeli government has a hand in all of this happening, by imposing restrictions on construction, demolishing homes, and using settler violence in order to seize Palestinian lands, giving full legitimacy to acts of violence against Palestinians.

Israeli officials are the ones who decide policy, they are the ones who allocate the budgets that finance the violence, and they are the ones responsible for enforcing the law on settlers who attack Palestinians.

Systematic Oppression and Displacement

Israel enforces a range of restrictions, including forbidding Palestinian construction, denying access to essential infrastructure such as water and power grids, and issuing demolition orders for homes and public buildings.

Palestinian communities are left with no choice but to build without permits, leading to frequent demolitions. This policy has resulted in thousands of demolished homes and the loss of livelihoods.

Settler Violence Escalates

Settlers have established outposts near Palestinian communities with state support, leading to a significant increase in violence.

Palestinians report daily attacks, including physical assaults, property damage, theft, and livestock harassment.

Settlers have even opened water tank valves and grazed their flocks in Palestinian water reservoirs, further exacerbating the situation.

Government Endorses Settler Violence

The current government not only tolerates settler violence but actively encourages and supports it. Members of the government have themselves been involved in violent acts against Palestinians.

This support includes allocating funding for settler activities and failing to condemn acts of violence, undermining the already fragile legal framework that once provided some protection for Palestinians.

Displacement of Palestinian Communities

The consequences of this policy have been dire, leading to the forced displacement of several Palestinian communities.

In the past two years alone, at least six Palestinian communities were forced to leave in search of safer places to live.

These communities had faced escalating violence, settlement expansion, and state-supported dispossession.

Israel’s policy of making life unbearable for Palestinians and its disregard for international law constitute a strategy of forcible transfer.

Palestinians are left with no choice but to leave their homes, which is a violation of international law and a war crime.

The ongoing Israeli policy of making life unbearable for Palestinian communities in the West Bank through a combination of systematic oppression and settler violence has resulted in the displacement of several communities.

This policy is not only a grave violation of international law but also a humanitarian crisis that threatens the dignity and livelihood of Palestinians.

https://x.com/btselem/status/1703702276785815853?s=20

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