UN says Israel’s actions in Gaza and West Bank may constitute ethnic cleansing due to starvation, displacement, and demographic aims.

The United Nations has raised serious concerns that Israel’s military actions in Gaza and the West Bank may constitute ethnic cleansing, citing intensified attacks, widespread destruction, forced displacements, and a blockade that created famine-like conditions. A report covering November 2024 to October 2025 found at least 463 Palestinians, including 157 children, starved to death, with civilians facing life-threatening choices between starvation and deadly attempts to obtain food. The UN said Israel’s conduct in Gaza and systematic use of force, arbitrary detentions, and home demolitions in the West Bank appear aimed at permanently altering demographics and undermining Palestinian self-determination. The report also condemned hostage-taking by Hamas as war crimes and called for accountability, while Israel rejected the findings as biased.