UN report details Israeli displacement of West Bank refugee
A UN human rights report states Israeli forces forcibly displaced over 33,000 Palestinians from three West Bank refugee camps in early 2025, destroying
Israeli security forces forcibly displaced the entire population of three Palestine refugee camps in the occupied West Bank in early 2025 and continue to prevent their return, according to a new report from the UN human rights office (OHCHR). The report covers Israel's Operation Iron Wall offensive in the Jenin, Nur Shams, and Tulkarem camps during January and February of last year.
Military, police, and other forces killed civilians and caused widespread destruction. They deployed airstrikes, armoured bulldozers, and controlled detonations. The operation damaged roads and other infrastructure while cutting off water and electricity. Humanitarian access was blocked. Israeli forces went door-to-door ordering residents to leave. Some displaced Palestinians told OHCHR that Israeli officers said there would be no more refugee camps and that they should "all go to Jordan."
Scale of destruction and displacement
By October 2025, over half the structures in the Jenin camp were destroyed or damaged. The report provides a breakdown of the destruction across the three camps.
| Camp | Structures Destroyed or Damaged |
|---|---|
| Jenin | 52% |
| Nur Shams | 48% |
| Tulkarem | 36% |
The large-scale, long-term displacement of over 33,000 Palestinians raises serious concerns of the crime against humanity of forcible transfer, the report states. The UN's Palestine refugee relief agency, UNRWA, says around 33,362 people remain displaced as of July this year. The actions, conducted in the absence of imperative military necessity, also raise concerns of collective punishment and ethnic cleansing.
Civilian casualties
Some 102 Palestinians were killed during the operation's timeframe. This figure represented 46 percent of all killings by Israeli forces in the West Bank over that period. Twenty-one of those killed were children.
The report cites specific cases. Sondos Shalabi, who was eight months pregnant, was shot dead as she tried to drive away from Nur Shams camp. Ten-year-old Saddam Hussein Rajab was shot in the stomach in Tulkarem as he waited for his father to walk to the mosque with him.
UN condemnation and Israeli orders
UN human rights chief Volker Türk said the way the operation was conducted suggested its aim was to expel as many Palestinians as possible and make way for more illegal Israeli settlements. He called on Israel to end what he described as its 59-year occupation of Palestinian territory. Türk also urged compliance with the International Court of Justice’s finding, from more than two years ago, that Israel must end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible.
On 23 February 2025, Israel’s Defence Minister ordered the military to remain in the three camps. The order stated that displaced Palestinians would not be allowed to return. The OHCHR report concludes that these actions violate international law.
