UN: West Bank camp displacements by Israel could amount to crime against humanity

The UN human rights office issued a report on Friday warning that an Israeli military operation last year, which forcibly displaced the entire Palestinian population of three West Bank refugee camps, may amount to a crime against humanity. Israel has strongly criticized the report.

According to the report, Operation Iron Wall, launched in the north of the occupied territory in January 2025, displaced more than 33,000 people. Israeli military, police and other forces entered the camps, killed civilians, destroyed hundreds of homes and damaged infrastructure. Residents had water and electricity cut off, humanitarian access was blocked, and forces went door to door forcing people to leave.

A few days into the operation, Israeli security forces consolidated control over the camps and displaced their entire population. The UN says the large-scale, long-term and systematic displacement of more than 33,000 refugees from camps such as Jenin, Nur Shams and Tulkarm raises serious concerns of the crime against humanity of forcible transfer. As of July this year, 33,362 displaced refugees had still not been allowed to return.

'Ethnic cleansing'

The rights office said the use of airstrikes, armoured bulldozers and controlled demolitions to render the camps uninhabitable and prevent residents' return is not permissible under international law. It said Israel's actions appear to amount to collective punishment and raise concerns of ethnic cleansing.

Israel's mission in Geneva responded that the rights office had abandoned impartiality and neutrality to act as a centre of activism, accusing the report of spreading misinformation and ignoring the threat of terrorist attacks.

The West Bank, occupied by Israel since 1967, has seen escalating violence since the war in Gaza began following Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack. Operation Iron Wall began on January 21, 2025, 48 hours after a fragile Gaza ceasefire took effect. Israel announced on February 23, 2025 that its army had emptied all three camps, part of a total of 19 refugee camps across the West Bank.

Defence Minister Israel Katz said at the time he had ordered troops to prepare for a prolonged presence in the cleared camps to prevent residents' return and a resurgence of terrorism. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said Friday that the way the operation was carried out suggests its goal was to expel as many Palestinians as possible and make way for further illegal Israeli settlements.