Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of war crimes in West Bank operations

Human Rights Watch has accused Israeli forces of committing war crimes through the systematic forced displacement of Palestinian civilians during military operations in the occupied West Bank. According to a comprehensive report released Thursday, approximately 32,000 residents were forcibly removed from three refugee camps in January, representing the largest displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank since the 1967 war.

Operation Iron Wall Details

The investigation focused on "Operation Iron Wall," a large-scale Israeli military campaign that began in the Jenin refugee camp on January 21 before expanding to the Tulkarem and Nur Shams camps and surrounding areas in the northern West Bank. The report documents how Israeli forces emptied these camps of their civilian populations while demolishing approximately 850 homes and other structures. The rights organization noted that military authorities failed to take "meaningful steps to ensure the safe and dignified evacuation of civilians," particularly neglecting the needs of people with disabilities.

Legal Classification and Eyewitness Accounts

Human Rights Watch determined that "Israeli forces committed forcible displacement in violation of the law of occupation under international humanitarian law that amount to war crimes." The organization further classified these actions as potentially constituting "forcible transfer of population and other inhumane acts as part of a widespread or systematic attack directed against a civilian population," which qualify as crimes against humanity under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Eyewitness testimony included accounts of soldiers restraining residents with zip ties and threatening them with sniper fire if they deviated from prescribed evacuation routes.

International Response and Broader Context

United Nations spokesperson Stephane Dujarric acknowledged the report during a news conference, stating that UN representatives "have been very clear about the situation in the West Bank" and have raised these concerns directly with Israeli authorities. The displacement operations occurred against the backdrop of escalating Israeli military activities in the West Bank since the Gaza conflict began in October 2023, during which over 1,076 Palestinians have been killed and more than 20,500 arrested according to available data.