Brandon Lee
The West Bank has been under Israeli occupation since 1967, with the Palestinian Authority controlling about 11% of the area and the Israeli-Palestinian military controlling 28%. The population of Palestinians in the West Bank is estimated to be around 800,000, including refugees and descendants, constituting about 30% of the total population. The cities in the West Bank have grown over the years, with some being more populous than others, and the population is expected to continue growing due to modernization and employment opportunities. The presence of over 600,000 Israeli settlers in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has led to continuous human rights abuses and violations of international law, with illegal construction of Jewish settlements on Palestinian territory facilitated by Israeli policies.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total number of Palestinians in the world | 12.7 million (2017); 14.8 million (2024) |
| Number of Palestinians in Israel | 1.5 million (2017) |
| Number of Palestinian refugees worldwide | 6 million (2017) |
| Number of Palestinian refugees eligible for UNRWA assistance | 5 million |
| Number of Palestinian refugees in Gaza | 1.3 million |
| Number of Palestinian refugees in the West Bank | 800,000 |
| Number of Israeli settlers in East Jerusalem and the West Bank | 600,000 |
| Number of Palestinians with Israeli citizenship unable to return to their homes | 335,000 |
| Percentage of the West Bank controlled by the Palestinian Authority | 11% |
| Percentage of the West Bank controlled by the Israeli-Palestinian military | 28% |
| Primary religion in the West Bank | Muslim (85%) |
| Number of martyrs in the West Bank | 570 |
| Number of injured in the West Bank | 123 |
| Number of detained students enrolled in universities in the West Bank | 179 |
| Number of detained teachers and school administrators in the West Bank | 111 |
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What You'll Learn
Palestinian refugees in the West Bank
Palestinian refugees are citizens of Mandatory Palestine and their descendants who fled or were expelled from their country, village, or homes during the 1948 Palestine War and the 1967 Six-Day War. The Israeli occupation of the West Bank has been marked by continuous human rights abuses and violations of international law, particularly in the area of Jewish settlement construction on Palestinian land.
The West Bank has the largest number of recognized Palestine refugee camps among the five UNRWA fields. There are 19 refugee camps in the West Bank, with over 912,879 registered refugees, about a quarter of whom live in these camps. The majority of the others live in West Bank towns and villages. Some camps are located next to major towns, while others are in rural areas. The largest refugee camp in the West Bank, Balata, has a population similar to the smallest camp in Gaza.
The humanitarian situation in the West Bank is less severe than in Gaza, but Palestinian refugees nonetheless face challenges such as Israeli-imposed closures, movement restrictions, and conflict-related violence. Refugees comprise about 30% of the West Bank's population.
In addition to the registered refugees, there are also internally displaced Palestinians who became Israeli citizens but are unable to return to their homes. As of 2022, about 15% of the nearly 5.9 million registered Palestinian refugees across the Middle East were in the Israeli-occupied territories of the West Bank.
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Israeli settlers in the West Bank
The presence of Israeli settlers in the West Bank is a highly contentious issue. Since 1967, Israeli settlers have increasingly moved into the occupied territories. There are now more than 600,000 settlers in East Jerusalem and the West Bank, with some sources placing the figure at 700,000. These settlers live across 150 settlements and 128 outposts, with the largest settlement, Modi'in Illit, housing around 82,000 settlers, most of whom are ultra-orthodox Jews. The Etzion Bloc in Hebron was the first settlement built in the occupied West Bank in September 1967 and now hosts 40,000 people.
The settlers belong to two broad categories: those who have settled for ideological or religious reasons, and those who have moved for financial considerations, such as the lower cost of living. Ultra-orthodox Jews form one-third of all settlers. A plurality of Israeli Jews who live in the West Bank believe that the construction of settlements improves the security of the country. The argument is that settlements act as a buffer for Israel's national security as they restrict the movement of Palestinians and undermine the viability of a Palestinian state. However, critics argue that the settlements violate the requirements of the Fourth Geneva Convention regarding the protection of civilian populations under occupation, and that they make the prospect of a future contiguous Palestinian state almost impossible.
The presence of Israeli settlers in the West Bank has been characterised by continuous human rights abuses and violations of international law, particularly in the area of the construction of Jewish settlements in Palestinian territory. These constructions, though illegal, have frequently been facilitated by official Israeli policy. For example, in November 2017, Israel's attorney general ruled that private Palestinian land could be appropriated by the state for public settlement. This decision has been used to retroactively legalise many illegal settlements already constructed in the West Bank. Moreover, several Israeli laws enable settlers to seize Palestinian land. Israel has declared about 26% of the West Bank's territory as "state land," on which settlements can be built, and has used legal means to expropriate Palestinian property for public needs such as roads, settlements, and parks. The Israeli authorities also provide financial incentives for settlers to monitor, report, and restrict Palestinian construction in Area C, which comprises over 60% of the West Bank.
Settler violence against Palestinians is a pervasive issue in the West Bank. Settlers have destroyed crops, damaged property, and attacked locals and their livestock. In 2023, OCHA recorded an increase in attacks on Palestinians by settlers after Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition with far-right and ultra-religious groups took power in December 2022. In the first weeks of October 2023, 44 Palestinians were injured by settlers, and 600 trees were vandalised. The spike in settler attacks has forced hundreds of Palestinians to flee their homes.
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Human rights abuses in the West Bank
The Israeli occupation of the West Bank has been marked by continuous human rights abuses and violations of international law, particularly in the area of Jewish settlement construction in Palestinian territory. The presence of Israeli settlers in itself violates the requirements of the Fourth Geneva Convention regarding the protection of civilian populations under occupation.
Israeli settlers belong to two broad categories. The first category consists of those who have settled for ideological reasons, often in the least hospitable areas. The second category consists of a larger number of those who have settled in the metropolitan commuter areas of Jerusalem and Tel Aviv because of the opportunity to inhabit good housing much more cheaply than inside Israel. Many settlers, especially those who are motivated by ideology, are armed and may shoot unarmed Palestinians when they believe the circumstances justify this.
The construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank, though illegal, has frequently been facilitated by official Israeli policy. In November 2017, for instance, Israel’s attorney general ruled that private Palestinian land could be appropriated by the state for public settlement – a decision that rights groups fear could be used to retroactively legalize many illegal settlements already constructed in the West Bank. The Gaza Strip has been governed by Hamas since 2007 and is subject to a blockade and harsh sanctions imposed by Israel, termed ‘collective punishment’ and in violation of international law by the UN.
Israeli authorities should cease building settlements and dismantle existing ones, and otherwise provide Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza with full respect for their human rights. The Palestinian Authority (PA) should end forms of security coordination with the Israeli army that contribute to facilitating the crimes against humanity of apartheid and persecution. The US, which has largely failed to press the Israeli government to end its systematic repression of Palestinians, has in some instances signaled its support for serious abuses such as the building of settlements in the occupied West Bank.
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West Bank cities' populations
The West Bank, with a land area of about 5,640 square kilometres (2,180 square miles), has an estimated population of 2,747,943 Palestinians and over 670,000 Israeli settlers. The largest city in the West Bank is Hebron, with a population of over 163,000 people. Other notable cities in the West Bank include Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Yattah, which are located in the mountains, the most densely populated areas.
The West Bank has been under Israeli military occupation for over 55 years, with the Israeli-Palestinian military controlling 28% of the area, and the Palestinian Authority controlling about 11%. The remaining area is under Israeli control. The presence of Israeli settlers in the West Bank violates the requirements of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the transfer of the population of an occupying power to occupied territories. Despite this, there has been a continuous construction of Jewish settlements in Palestinian territory, facilitated by official Israeli policy.
The primary religion in the West Bank is Islam, with up to 85% of the population practising this religion. There are also approximately 14% of Jewish people and a small number of Christians and other religions. The main language is Arabic, although many people also speak Hebrew, English, and French.
The West Bank faces a protracted political crisis characterized by internal Palestinian divisions and recurrent escalations of hostilities. The humanitarian situation is dire, with violence and unrest expected to continue throughout 2024. Priority has been given to scaling up humanitarian responses, providing emergency supplies such as food and water, delivering aid to hard-to-reach areas, and supporting existing structures and services.
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West Bank casualties
The West Bank is an area of land that has been occupied by Israel since 1967. The Palestinian Authority now controls about 11% of the area, with the Israeli-Palestinian military controlling 28% and the remainder under Israeli control. The primary religion in the West Bank is Islam, with up to 85% of the population practising this faith. There are also approximately 14% of Jewish people and a small number of Christians and other religions.
The Israeli occupation of the West Bank has been marked by continuous human rights abuses and violations of international law, particularly in the area of constructing Jewish settlements in Palestinian territory. These constructions are illegal and have frequently been facilitated by official Israeli policy. The presence of Israeli settlers violates the requirements of the Fourth Geneva Convention regarding the protection of civilian populations under occupation.
The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine has resulted in numerous casualties in the West Bank. Since the conflict between Hamas and Israel began in October 2023, there have been 924 Palestinian deaths in the West Bank as of January 2025. This includes 41 Palestinian children killed in the first nine months of 2023, prior to the escalation of violence in October of that year. The violence has also impacted the mental and physical well-being of thousands of children and families, who live in daily fear for their lives.
UNICEF has reported that Palestinian children in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are being detained on their way home from school or shot while walking on the streets. These casualties have been reported in 10 out of 11 governorates in the West Bank, with more than half of the killings taking place in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nablus. These areas have seen an increase in large and militarized law enforcement operations, indicating a shift in intensity and scope.
The data on casualties in the West Bank is collected by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and is based on reporting by both parties to the conflict. However, it is important to note that objective data collection in wars and conflicts is challenging, and reports are often based on estimates.
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Frequently asked questions
As of mid-2024, there are around 800,000 Palestinians in the West Bank.
The Palestinian Authority has controlled around 11% of the West Bank since the early 1990s.
Life for Palestinians in the West Bank is marked by continuous human rights abuses and violations of international law due to the Israeli occupation. There are also frequent conflicts with the Israeli settlers, who number over 600,000 in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Approximately 85% of Palestinians in the West Bank practice Islam, with around 14% practicing Judaism and a small minority of Christians and other religions making up the rest.
