UN Report Highlights Forcible Displacement from West Bank Refugee Camps

West bank: Israeli security forces forcibly displaced the entire population of three Palestine refugee camps in the occupied West Bank in January and February last year and continue to prevent their return, in violation of international law, according to a new report by the UN human rights office, OHCHR. According to United Nations, the report outlines that military, police, and other forces deployed during Israel's Operation Iron Wall offensive resulted in civilian casualties, destruction of hundreds of homes, damaged roads and essential infrastructure, and blocked humanitarian access to the Jenin, Nur Shams, and Tulkarem refugee camps. Israeli forces conducted door-to-door operations, ordering residents to vacate their homes. Some displaced Palestinians recounted to OHCHR that Israeli officers indicated there would be no more refugee camps, suggesting they should relocate to Jordan. The report details widespread destruction, with 52% of structures in Jenin, 48% in Nur Shams, and 36% in Tulkarem being dest royed or damaged by October 2025. The large-scale, systematic displacement of over 33,000 Palestinians raises serious concerns about the crime against humanity of forcible transfer. The report criticizes the use of airstrikes, armored bulldozers, and controlled detonations, describing these actions as potentially constituting collective punishment and ethnic cleansing. The report documents the deaths of 102 Palestinians, including 21 children, during the operation, accounting for 46% of all killings by Israeli forces in the West Bank over the period. Among the victims were Sondos Shalabi, eight months pregnant, and ten-year-old Saddam Hussein Rajab, highlighting the human toll of the conflict. UN human rights chief Volker Trk commented on the operation's conduct, suggesting its aim was to expel Palestinians to facilitate illegal Israeli settlements. He urged Israel to end its 59-year occupation of Palestinian territory and adhere to the International Court of Justice's directive to cease its unlawful prese nce in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. On February 23, 2025, Israel's Defence Minister ordered the military to remain in the camps, with displaced Palestinians prohibited from returning. The UN's Palestine refugee relief agency, UNRWA, reports that approximately 33,362 people remain displaced as of July this year.