UN Rights Chief accuses Israel of maintaining 'Apartheid System' in occupied West Bank

GENEVA – The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, has for the first time explicitly described Israel's policies in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as resembling an "apartheid system."

A report released on January 7 warns of intensifying systematic discrimination against Palestinians, calling on Israel to dismantle settlements, repeal discriminatory laws, and end its unlawful occupation.

Titled "Israel’s Discriminatory Administration of the Occupied West Bank, Including East Jerusalem," the document details how Israeli authorities apply two distinct legal systems: civil law for Israeli settlers and military law for Palestinians. This dual framework results in unequal treatment in areas such as access to land, water, movement, justice, and basic services.

"There is a systematic asphyxiation of the rights of Palestinians in the West Bank," Turk stated.

"Whether accessing water, school, rushing to hospital, visiting family or friends, or harvesting olives – every aspect of life for Palestinians in the West Bank is controlled and curtailed by Israel’s discriminatory laws, policies and practices," he said.

"This is a particularly severe form of racial discrimination and segregation that resembles the kind of apartheid system we have seen before," he added.

The report finds "reasonable grounds to believe" that this separation and subordination is intended to be permanent, violating Article 3 of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), which prohibits racial segregation and apartheid.

Key findings and deterioration since October 2023

The UN human rights office (OHCHR) documents a "drastic deterioration" in the human rights situation, particularly since the Hamas-led attacks on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent escalation in Gaza and the West Bank. Highlights include:

• Dual Legal Systems: Settlers benefit from greater protections under Israeli civil law, while Palestinians face military courts with limited due process.
• Settlement Expansion and Land Confiscation: Large-scale expropriation of Palestinian land, restricting access to resources and impeding economic rights.
• Movement Restrictions: Severe checkpoints and barriers impacting work, education, and healthcare.
• Violence and Impunity: Escalating settler violence, often with acquiescence or participation by Israeli security forces; unlawful use of force, arbitrary detentions, and torture.
• Post-October 2023 Surge: Over 1,000 Palestinians killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces and settlers; repression of civil society and media freedoms.

The report notes near-total impunity, with only one conviction from 112 investigations into more than 1,500 Palestinian killings between 2017 and September 2025.While previous UN-affiliated independent experts have labeled the situation as apartheid, this marks the first instance of a sitting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights using the term.

Israel swiftly rejected the report. Its mission to the UN in Geneva called the accusations "absurd and distorted," accusing the OHCHR of a "politically driven fixation on vilifying Israel."

Israeli officials maintain that policies in the West Bank are driven by security needs, not racial discrimination, and point to equal rights for Arab citizens within Israel proper. They also highlight limited Palestinian autonomy under the Palestinian Authority in parts of the territory.

The report urges Israel to repeal discriminatory laws and practices, dismantle all settlements and evacuate settlers, end its "unlawful presence" in the occupied territory, and respect Palestinian self-determination.

It aligns with prior international rulings, including the International Court of Justice's 2024 advisory opinion declaring Israel's occupation unlawful and its policies violative of prohibitions on racial segregation and apartheid.

Human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have echoed similar findings in recent years. The report's release comes amid ongoing tensions, with over 700,000 Israeli settlers living in the West Bank alongside approximately three million Palestinians.

This development underscores deepening international scrutiny of Israel's policies in the occupied territories, potentially influencing diplomatic relations and legal accountability efforts. The OHCHR emphasizes that continued inaction worsens consequences for Palestinians and risks further entrenching the system.