A growing number of human rights groups, legal scholars, and former Israeli officials say Israel is operating a system that meets the international legal definition of apartheid, as conditions worsen in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

While the Rafah crossing has partially reopened, movement in and out of Gaza remains tightly controlled. Only a small number of patients with medical referrals have been allowed to leave, and even fewer have been permitted to return. Airstrikes have continued since the ceasefire signed last October, with hundreds of Palestinians reported killed.

In the West Bank, mass displacement is accelerating, and the United Nations and Israeli activists have warned of increasing coordination between Israeli military units and settler groups. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated that Israel will maintain long-term “security control” from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean, reinforcing concerns among critics that the occupation has become permanent.

Jerusalem-based journalist and author Nathan Thrall argues that the long-standing framework treating Israel and the occupied territories as separate political entities no longer reflects reality. Instead, he says there is effectively one sovereign state exercising control over the entire area.

Under international law, apartheid refers to systematic domination by one racial or ethnic group over another through institutionalised discrimination and inhumane practices. Thrall and other experts argue this definition applies due to unequal legal systems, restrictions on movement, and differential access to rights.

Major human rights organisations including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, and Israel’s B’Tselem have all used the apartheid designation in recent years. In 2024, the International Court of Justice issued a non-binding advisory opinion declaring Israel’s occupation unlawful and identifying practices that could amount to apartheid.

Israeli governments have rejected the label, saying the situation is a temporary security-based military occupation rather than racial domination. However, a growing number of prominent Israelis and international legal experts dispute that claim.

Critics argue that permit systems, segregated road networks, and separate legal courts for Israelis and Palestinians demonstrate a long-term structure of unequal rule, increasing international scrutiny and calls for accountability.

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Key Takeaways

• Experts say Israeli control meets the legal definition of apartheid.

• Human rights groups and the ICJ have raised similar concerns.

• Israel rejects the label, citing security and temporary occupation.

Friday briefing: Why a growing number of experts say Israel is practising apartheid | Gaza | The Guardian

Very much the same as in apartheid South Africa, except SA had the decency to actually create separate territories. Israel has no intention of that.

I wonder how history will look at Israel. Will Bibi wear it while he's still alive?

I'd be interested in hearing how those white South African 'refugees' are doing in the US. Any of them on welfare yet? They're lucky ICE is colour-blind!