UN report: Israel forcibly displaced over 33,000 Palestinians from three West Bank refugee camps

A UN report says Israeli forces have forcibly displaced the entire Palestinian populations of three refugee camps in the occupied West Bank between January and February 2025 and have continued to prevent their return, raising concerns of forcible transfer and “ethnic cleansing.”

The report, titled Destruction of Palestinian Refugee Camps in the northern West Bank and published by the United Nations Human Rights Office on Friday, detailed Israeli military assaults in the Jenin, Nur Shams, and Tulkarm refugee camps, which led to civilian casualties, demolition of numerous homes, damage to infrastructure, interruptions in water and electricity services, and limitations on humanitarian access.

By October 2025, around 52% of structures in the Jenin refugee camp, 48% in the Nur Shams refugee camp, and 36% in the Tulkarm refugee camp had suffered destruction or damage as a result of the Israeli military attacks, according to the report.

According to the UN Human Rights Office, its independent monitoring and documentation revealed that Israeli forces established their dominance over the three camps shortly after the assault, resulting in the forced displacement of their inhabitants.

Some displaced Palestinians told the UN office that Israeli officers had stated there would be no further refugee camps and that all residents should relocate to Jordan.

The report cautioned that the large-scale, prolonged, and systematic removal of more than 33,000 Palestinians from the three camps raises grave concerns about the possibility of committing the crime against humanity of forcible transfer.

It said the use of airstrikes, armored bulldozers, and controlled demolitions to render entire camps uninhabitable, while mandating the departure of residents and preventing their return without a pressing military necessity, is prohibited under international law, and seems to equate to collective punishment, raising concerns over ethnic cleansing.

Israeli forces launch widespread raids across occupied West Bank, abduct Palestinians

Israeli military forces have carried out extensive raids against several Palestinian cities, villages, and camps across the occupied West Bank.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stated that the manner in which the offensive was launched suggested that its objective was to displace as many Palestinians as possible to facilitate the establishment of additional illegal Israeli settlements, characterizing this as a blatant breach of international law.

Turk urged Israel to terminate its occupation of Palestinian land, cease attempts to forcibly relocate Palestinians, and take necessary steps to fulfill its responsibilities under international law, including adherence to the International Court of Justice's ruling that Israel must promptly end its illegal presence in the occupied Palestinian territory.

The report said around 102 Palestinians, among them 21 children, lost their lives at the hands of Israeli forces during the offensive in the specified timeframe, representing 46% of all fatalities attributed to Israeli forces in the West Bank during that period.

The report also recorded the use of airstrikes, explosive-laden drones, and shoulder-fired explosive projectiles — armaments intended for combat rather than policing – which resulted in the deaths and injuries of civilians who did not seem to present any threat.

On February 23, 2025, Israeli minister of military affairs Israel Katz instructed the regime’s army to stay in the three camps, and stated that Palestinians who had been displaced from these areas would not be permitted to return.

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