Original article: Nuevo informe ONU advierte «limpieza étnica» de Israel contra el pueblo palestino y recuerda que orden de arresto internacional contra Netanyahu está vigente
A report from the Office of Human Rights published on Thursday, February 19, raises «serious concerns» regarding acts of ethnic cleansing being carried out by Israeli authorities in both Gaza and the West Bank.
The agency highlighted that this situation is occurring «amid intensified attacks and forced displacements, which appear aimed at the permanent displacement of the Palestinian population in the occupied territories.»
The document, covering the period from November 1, 2024, to October 31, 2025, indicates that «the intensified attacks, systematic destruction of entire neighborhoods, and denial of humanitarian assistance seem to target a permanent demographic change in Gaza.»
«This, along with the forced displacements, which appear to seek permanent displacement, raises concerns about ethnic cleansing in Gaza and the West Bank,» adds the UN report.
Moreover, beyond the period analyzed by the Office, it is estimated that between October 7, 2023, and February 11, 2026, 72,045 Palestinians have died in the Gaza Strip, with another 171,686 injured due to Israeli military operations, according to the Ministry of Health (MoH).
Since the «ceasefire» agreement in October 2025, 601 Palestinians have died and 1,607 have been injured, as reported by the United Nations Office of Human Rights. Download the full report (in English) here.
Gaza: Famine, Destruction, and Death
In the Gaza Strip, the report details the ongoing massacre and mutilation of an unprecedented number of civilians at the hands of Israeli forces during the analyzed period.
It also documents the spread of famine and the destruction of remaining civil infrastructure, imposing increasingly untenable living conditions on Palestinians, making continued existence in Gaza as a group increasingly incompatible.
The report specifically indicates the death of at least 463 Palestinians, including 157 children, due to starvation in the Gaza Strip. This situation of famine and malnutrition, it emphasizes, is «a direct result of actions taken by the Israeli government,» such as blocking the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid in Gaza.
The document reminds that using hunger against the civilian population as a method of warfare constitutes a war crime. Furthermore, it warns that such conduct «may also constitute crimes against humanity if committed as part of a systematic or widespread attack against a civilian population.» It adds that, «if carried out with the intention to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group, it may also constitute genocide.»
Prior to this report, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territories concluded that Israel has committed acts constituting genocide.
The report also notes that patterns of lethal attacks in Gaza «raise serious concerns» about whether Israeli forces intentionally attacked civilians and civilian objects, and whether they conducted attacks «knowing that civilian damage would be excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage.» Such acts would constitute war crimes, the document underscores.
West Bank: Control, Domination, and Demolitions
In the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the report details the systematic use of illegal force by Israeli security forces, widespread arbitrary detention, torture, and other mistreatment of Palestinians in custody, as well as extensive illegal demolition of Palestinian homes. These actions, according to the report, are «used to systematically discriminate, oppress, control, and dominate the Palestinian people.»
The report also records the deaths of 79 Palestinians while in Israeli custody during the analyzed period and highlights that detained Palestinians from Gaza remain particularly vulnerable to torture and other mistreatment.
The document outlines a «widespread climate of impunity» for grave violations of human rights and international humanitarian law committed by Israeli authorities in the occupied Palestinian territory, and emphasizes that the Israeli judicial system has not taken meaningful steps to hold accountable those responsible for such violations.
On this last point, the UN Human Rights Office recalled that in November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against Benjamin Netanyahu for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Additionally, among other recommendations, the report urges all states to «cease the sale, transfer, and diversion of arms, ammunition, and other military equipment to Israel that facilitate violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the occupied Palestinian territory.»
Finally, the report indicates that, although efforts were underway toward the «Comprehensive Plan to End the Conflict in Gaza,» led by the United States and in effect since October 9, 2025, «the absence of any steps to ensure accountability for violations of international law since October 7, 2023 represented a critical gap.»
«Justice for the victims must lay the groundwork for the reconstruction of Gaza,» states the report, which calls on states to ensure immediate participation of Palestinians in governance structures to determine and shape the reconstruction of the enclave.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, concluded: «Impunity is not abstract: it kills. Accountability is essential. It is the prerequisite for a just and lasting peace in Palestine and Israel.»
The Citizen
Cover Photo: UNICEF/Alaa Badarneh. A Palestinian family carries their belongings in the Nur Shams refugee camp in northern West Bank.
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