UN raises alarm over potential 'ethnic cleansing' in Gaza and West Bank

The destruction of neighbourhoods, restricted humanitarian aid and forced removals appear aimed at creating lasting demographic changes.

20 Feb 2026 09:26am
Palestinians gather for a mass fast-breaking iftar meal organised by the Turkish IHH Foundation, amid the rubble of destroyed buildings in Gaza City on Feb 18, 2026. - (Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA / AFP)
Palestinians gather for a mass fast-breaking iftar meal organised by the Turkish IHH Foundation, amid the rubble of destroyed buildings in Gaza City on Feb 18, 2026. - (Photo by OMAR AL-QATTAA / AFP)

GENEVA - The United Nations (UN) warned of potential "ethnic cleansing" in Gaza and the West Bank due to intensified Israeli attacks and forced displacement of Palestinian civilians, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.

A report by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that the destruction of neighbourhoods, restricted humanitarian aid and forced removals appear aimed at creating lasting demographic changes.

The report covered November 2024 to October 2025 and documented killings, mutilations and widespread civilian suffering since Oct 7, 2023.

At least 463 Palestinians, including 157 children, died from starvation in Gaza, which was directly linked to Israeli measures, the report noted.

It stressed that using starvation against civilians constitutes a war crime and may amount to crimes against humanity or genocide if intended to destroy a national, ethnic, or religious group.

In the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Israeli forces carried out arbitrary detention, torture and illegal home demolitions, enforcing control and subjugation of Palestinians. Despite the ceasefire on Oct 10, 2025, impunity persists, and the Israeli judiciary has not ensured accountability for these violations. - BERNAMA

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