Ramallah, Sept. 14 (Petra) – Israeli human rights group B’Tselem
released a report on Monday outlining that Israel is executing a
comprehensive campaign to systematically “eliminate” the Palestinian
presence in the occupied West Bank.

The report, titled “The Elimination Project: Israel’s Systematic
Dismantling of Palestinian Collective Life in the West Bank,” details
how measures targeting daily Palestinian life have sharply escalated
since late 2022, with a dramatic surge after October 2023.

Based on over 2,000 testimonies, B’Tselem argues these events are not
isolated, but part of a coordinated strategy to drive Palestinians
off their land while expanding Jewish settlements.

This effort, according to the group, operates across five
interconnected fronts: violence and intimidation, movement
restrictions, economic strangulation, political and social
destruction, and territorial takeover paired with ethnic cleansing.

B’Tselem noted that tactics once framed as “temporary” or
“exceptional” have become permanent policy, driven by growing
coordination between government bodies, the Israeli military, and
armed settler groups. This collaboration facilitates the transfer of
land and resources to Israeli control through the expansion of
settlements, outposts, and agricultural farms, all backed by state
planning, legal, and budgetary frameworks.

The report pointed out that this push accelerated after the current
far-right Israeli administration took office, granting political
authority and budgets to figures advocating for annexation and
displacement. It explicitly identifies Finance Minister Bezalel
Smotrich’s 2017 “Decisive Plan” as the operational framework guiding
current policies.

Additionally, the group reported that military tactics previously
reserved for Gaza, including airstrikes, mass home demolitions, and
forced displacement, have expanded into the West Bank since October
2023.

B’Tselem characterized the Israeli regime as an apartheid system,
warning that documented abuses may amount to war crimes and crimes
against humanity. The center cited the International Court of
Justice’s July 2024 advisory opinion, which declared Israel’s
continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territories unlawful.

Rejecting partial fixes, like minor checkpoint removals or limited
settlement freezes, B’Tselem called for a complete end to military
rule and apartheid, urging full political and human rights for
Palestinians.

The group called on the international community to meet its moral and
legal duties to prevent further violations, stressing that any
lasting political resolution must recognize Palestinians’ collective
right to self-determination.

//Petra// HA