Speaking at a press conference in Berlin, Amnesty International Secretary-General Agnès Callamard charged that Israel is intensifying its campaign of ethnic cleansing in the West Bank, rooted in a long-standing apartheid system. She said successive Israeli governments have advanced annexation plans by expanding control over Palestinian land while reducing Palestinian presence, in clear violation of international law.

The organization’s report highlights measures such as fast-tracking settlement approvals, altering land registration, legalizing settlement outposts, and expanding infrastructure—all aimed at diminishing Palestinian presence in Area C and restricting access to land and water. Callamard argued these violations serve a policy of annexation and displacement to achieve demographic and economic dominance.

She noted that Israeli officials openly state their goal of “maximum land, minimum Arabs,” framing annexation as a declared policy under the vision of “Greater Israel.” Callamard criticized the silence of the international community, accusing the U.S. and Germany of supporting Israel and claiming that authorities now insist “international law is dead.”

She warned that without accountability, Palestinian Bedouins and shepherds in the West Bank could disappear, and urged stronger global action. Amnesty called for bans on trade and investment linked to settlements, an end to diplomatic and economic support enabling occupation, and halting arms and institutional backing. The organization also urged international investigations into Israeli crimes in the occupied territories.