An Israeli human rights group has accused Israel of systematically undermining the foundations of Palestinian life in the occupied West Bank through a range of coordinated measures. B’Tselem’s extensive report, released on September 14, 2026, outlines what it describes as a concerted effort to erode the conditions that sustain Palestinian collective existence, affecting their freedom of movement, access to services, economic viability, social structure, and territory.
The report, titled The Elimination Project, characterizes Israel’s actions as an intensification of pressure on Palestinians across five interconnected spheres: violence and intimidation, movement restrictions, economic strangulation, social and political disintegration, and a broader campaign of ethnic cleansing accompanied by territorial expansion. According to B’Tselem, this multifaceted approach is implemented through various branches of the Israeli state, with particular influence exerted by Bezalel Smotrich, the far-right minister overseeing civilian affairs in the West Bank.
Since the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, these measures have escalated, the organization reports, though it notes that the ideological basis for such policies predates that event. Central to this approach is a 2017 document dubbed the Decisive Plan, authored by Smotrich before assuming ministerial office. The plan allegedly presents Palestinians with three options: live under Jewish supremacy while relinquishing national claims, leave the territory, or face violent military suppression if they resist.
B’Tselem asserts that this framework has been rapidly translated into policy, supported by budgets and official authority across Israeli state entities. The report condemns the increasing role of settler violence, which it says is no longer isolated criminality but functions as part of a broader system with backing from Israeli security forces—including the provision of weapons and infrastructure—and enjoys near-total impunity.
The report emphasizes the tangible impact of these policies on everyday Palestinian life. It highlights obstacles such as road closures and checkpoints that restrict movement, illustrated by the experience of a resident near Hebron who was forced to carry his disabled daughter around a military roadblock. It also details economic hardships imposed by what it calls a systematic campaign of “full economic strangulation” since 2023, severely limiting livelihood opportunities. Additionally, the report points to detrimental effects on Palestinian education, cultural institutions, and social networks.
B’Tselem’s findings come shortly after a British government official openly accused Israel’s ruling coalition of facilitating ethnic cleansing through support of illegal settler violence, marking a sharp condemnation from the United Kingdom. While the Israeli government has historically rejected such characterizations, the report draws a comprehensive picture of policies and practices that, according to B’Tselem, severely endanger the viability of Palestinian communities in the West Bank.