UN reports 32,000 Palestinians displaced by West Bank offensive
A large-scale Israeli military operation in the northern West Bank has forcibly displaced approximately 32,000 Palestinians from refugee camps, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees. UNRWA officials condemn systematic home demolitions as violations of international law and warn of long-term Israeli control over the re-engineered camps.
More than 32,000 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes in the northern West Bank due to an ongoing Israeli military offensive, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reported on Thursday. The operation, which began in the Jenin refugee camp on January 21, has since expanded to include the Tulkarem and Nur Shams camps, effectively emptying these areas of their residents.
Systematic Demolition and Topographic Change
Rolan Friedrich, Director of UNRWA Affairs for the West Bank, stated that Israeli forces continue to order demolitions in what have become "ghost towns." He highlighted two mass demolition orders targeting over 190 buildings in the Jenin camp, with an additional 12 structures slated for destruction. Friedrich described these actions as "the newest episode in continued efforts to re-engineer the topography of refugee camps in the northern West Bank," a process he said violates fundamental principles of international law.
Broader Campaign and Legal Context
The displacement in the northern camps coincides with a separate Israeli military campaign launched Wednesday in the Tubas governorate, where over 60 Palestinians were arrested and 10 injured. This occurs alongside the devastating war in Gaza and reflects a broader pattern of violence across the occupied territories. Palestinian figures indicate that at least 1,083 Palestinians have been killed and roughly 20,500 detained in the West Bank since October 2023.
Calls for Return and Reconstruction
Friedrich urgently called for the reconstruction of the devastated camps and the guaranteed return of displaced residents, emphasizing that "they must not be trapped in interminable displacement." The situation unfolds against the backdrop of a landmark International Court of Justice opinion from last July, which declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and demanded the evacuation of all West Bank and East Jerusalem settlements.
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