Entire communities fled: 'The West Bank's Area C is almost completely ethnically cleansed'

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Feb 11, 2026

Matan Golan, Haaretz West Bank correspondent reporting on settler violence and land disputes, describes relentless harassment and attacks driving Palestinians from Area C. Short scenes include the Bedouin village of Mukhmas, repeated outpost arson and beatings, social-media boasting by settlers, limited IDF protection, and government moves expanding control over Palestinian areas.

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ANECDOTE

Outpost Sparked Brutal October Attack

Golan recounts the October 25 attack: live shooting, arson and brutal assaults on Palestinians and Israeli activists.
She notes the new outpost above the Bedouin community triggered fear that “something bad is about to happen.”

INSIGHT

Outpost Rebuilt After Repeated Demolitions

The Kol Mivacer outpost started as fabric on poles and has been rebuilt after at least nine demolitions.
Golan says security forces repeatedly clear it but settlers return immediately, showing enforcement gaps.

ANECDOTE

Nighttime Attacks Last Minutes, Not Hours

Video footage showed organized nighttime attacks lasting three to eight minutes with settlers moving building to building and dogs present.
Golan says the recordings made testimonies visible and proved how quickly destruction occurs.

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The Netanyahu government may not have officially annexed the West Bank, but the ongoing settler violence expelling Palestinian communities from their land – plus the changes in regulation imposing Israeli authority and areas meant for Palestinian self-rule – is driving momentum in that direction, Haaretz West Bank correspondent Matan Golan said on the Haaretz Podcast.

Golan described the ongoing ordeal in the Bedouin community of Mukhmas on the podcast, a case study which illustrates the settlers' use of daily harassment and ongoing attacks on both residents and their property to force Palestinians to relocate into an increasingly small portion of the territory.

The settler outpost of Kol Mevaser terrorizing Mukhmas "has been depopulated and destroyed at least nine times," by Israeli authorities since its establishment in late October, when the young settlers living there engaged in their first spree of beatings, assaults and arson. "Each time, the settlers just escape to the hills below – and despite the fact that it's a closed military zone," she said, they return – and later brag of their destructive acts against Palestinians on social media.

The IDF has consistently failed to provide enough protection for Palestinian residents to remain in their homes, she said. The Israeli and international activists try to provide a protective presence, which helps prolong the Palestinians' struggles to remain, but it has proven unsuccessful: Nearly 50 communities have been forcibly displaced since summer 2023, according to B'Tselem.

On the podcast, Golan also discusses the recent announcement by Netanyahu government officials declaring that it is taking authority in areas meant to be controlled by the Palestinian Authority, in violation of the Oslo Accords. The fact that such measures are being taken to weaken the Palestinian Authority and prevent a two-state solution, she said, "are no secret."

How Israeli Settlers Destroyed Mukhmas In Four Minutes

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Israel to Expand Law Enforcement in Palestinian-controlled West Bank Areas, Defying Oslo Accords

Israel Claims It Can't Protect Palestinians From Settler Attacks Due to IDF Personnel Shortage

Investigation: Netanyahu's Government Not Only Permits Jewish Terror in the West Bank, but Also Finances It

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