In the 59th year of the occupation, the Israeli government continued to aggressively advance its policy of annexation in the West Bank, in defiance of international law and amid grave, systemic violations of Palestinians’ human rights. Settler violence, which has become unprecedented in its scale and severity, has imposed a reign of terror and fear on Palestinians and forced dozens of communities from their lands, thereby helping to realize the vision of permanent Israeli control over the...

Israel’s 37th government continues its steady march toward annexation and application of Israeli sovereignty in the West Bank, as it has done since its formation in December 2022 (see the 58th year State of the Occupation report). This policy is dictated and implemented by the government through resolutions, directives, programs, and funding allocations, and it is manifested on the ground through the violent seizure of land, settlement expansion, construction, and retroactive approval of...

Palestinian fatalities and injuries in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem The number of Palestinian civilians, including women and children, killed or injured by Israeli armed forces in the West Bank has been steadily rising in recent years. Key reasons for this alarming trend are: Relaxation of the open-fire regulations and the adoption of combat practices used during the fighting in Gaza, which increase the risk of harm to civilians. An increase in the rate and intensity of settler...

Through 2025, and even more so since the beginning of 2026, violent attacks carried out by Israeli civilians, most of whom are residents of settlements and outposts, against Palestinians and Palestinian property in the West Bank (settler violence) have grown in number and severity. From early 2026 until mid-May, the UN documented over 800 violent settler attacks that resulted in injuries or property damage in more than 220 Palestinian communities. Settler violence is backed by the State and...

The West Bank is dotted with Palestinian shepherding communities subsisting on herding and agriculture. Most of these communities were driven out of the Negev desert upon Israel’s establishment, and have lived at their current sites in the West Bank for decades. Over the past decade, and with growing intensity since October 2023, families and entire communities have been forced out through settler violence that is systemic and ongoing, together with the lack of protection from Israeli...

Olive trees and the olive harvest occupy a central place in Palestinian life and tradition in the West Bank. Olive groves cover much of the West Bank’s farmland, and, according to UN figures, the olive harvest is the sole or main source of income for 80,000 to 100,000 families. For years, the harvest season has been a flashpoint for settler violence against Palestinians. The 2025 harvest season was particularly difficult. During the harvest months of October and November 2025, the UN...

Freedom of movement is a basic right and an essential element of human liberty in its most fundamental sense. Restrictions on freedom of movement directly impinge on other human rights as they impede access to healthcare and education facilities, workplaces, farmland, places to buy food, and more. For the millions of Palestinians living in the West Bank, freedom of movement within the West Bank has been restricted to varying degrees since the early days of the occupation. Since October 2023...

The West Bank is in the grip of a severe economic crisis, with the situation continuing to spiral due to Israeli policies: Israel’s refusal to release billions of dollars of tax and duty revenues belonging to the Palestinian Authority, the continued ban on the entry of tens of thousands of Palestinians who previously worked in Israel, and harsh travel restrictions that prevent or delay access to workplaces and agricultural land and thereby reduce output. According to International Labour...