A UN Human Rights report published Wednesday, January 7, 2026, concludes that Israel is violating international law prohibiting racial segregation and apartheid in the occupied West Bank. The findings reveal “a systematic asphyxiation of the rights of Palestinians in the West Bank.”
Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, warned, “This is a particularly severe form of racial discrimination and segregation that resembles the kind of apartheid system we have seen before”.
The report warns that the discriminatory practices have accelerated dramatically since 2022.
Sources:
Shaimaa Khalil,David Gritten, BBC: UN rights chief says Israeli policy in West Bank ‘resembles apartheid system’ https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly9erv6p15o
UN News Release: West Bank: UN report warns of ‘systematic asphyxiation’ of Palestinian rights https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/01/1166716
UN Human Rights Report: Israel’s discriminatory administration of the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem https://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/israels-discriminatory-administration-occupied-west-bank-including-east