In early 2025, Israeli authorities forcibly removed 32,000 Palestinians from their homes in three West Bank refugee camps without regard for international legal protections. They have not been permitted to return.
The forced displacement of the residents of these three camps amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
A new 105-page Human Rights Watch report details “Operation Iron Wall,” an Israeli military operation across Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams camps that began on January 21, 2025, days after a temporary ceasefire was announced in Gaza.
Israeli officials told HRW the operation was initiated in response to security threats posed by the camps. But they haven’t explained why the complete expulsion of the population was necessary to achieve their military objective or why they have prohibited residents from returning.
>> Read the report: “All My Dreams Have Been Erased”
During the operation, Israeli forces issued abrupt orders to civilians to leave their homes. Witnesses said soldiers moved methodically through the camps, storming homes, ransacking properties, interrogating residents, and eventually forcing all families out.
Research shows that soldiers deployed Apache helicopters, drones, bulldozers, and armored vehicles to support hundreds of ground troops who forced people from their homes. Residents told HRW they saw bulldozers demolishing buildings as they were being expelled. The Israeli military provided no shelter or humanitarian assistance to displaced residents.
Israel’s abuses in the West Bank underscore why governments, despite the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, should act to prevent Israeli authorities from escalating their repression of Palestinians.
