Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
A United Nations human rights report states that Israeli security forces forcibly displaced the entire populations of three Palestinian refugee camps in the occupied West Bank—Jenin, Nur Shams, and Tulkarem—during January and February 2025, and continue to prevent their return in violation of international law.
The report details how military, police, and other forces killed civilians, destroyed hundreds of homes, damaged roads and infrastructure, cut off water and electricity, and obstructed humanitarian access to the camps during Israel’s Operation Iron Wall offensive.
According to the UN report, some displaced Palestinians said Israeli officers told them there would be no more refugee camps and that they should go to Jordan. By October 2025, over half the structures in Jenin had been destroyed or damaged, with significant damage also reported in Nur Shams and Tulkarem camps.
The displacement of over 33,000 Palestinians raises serious concerns of forcible transfer, considered a crime against humanity. The report also flagged the use of airstrikes, armored bulldozers, and detonations used to render the camps uninhabitable without imperative military necessity, raising concerns of collective punishment and potential ethnic cleansing.
During the period covered by the report, 102 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, including 21 children. Among those killed were an eight-month pregnant woman shot while driving away from Nur Shams, and a ten-year-old boy shot while waiting to go to the mosque in Tulkarem.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk indicated that the operation's conduct suggested its aim was to expel Palestinians to facilitate Israeli settlement expansion. He urged Israel to end its 59-year occupation of Palestinian territory and comply with the International Court of Justice's ruling to end its unlawful presence rapidly.
Following the operation, Israel’s Defence Minister ordered a continued military presence in the camps and prohibited displaced Palestinians from returning. As of July 2026, about 33,362 people remain displaced, according to the UN Palestine refugee agency UNRWA.