Israel has expelled the residents of three refugee camps in the occupied West Bank as part of a major month-long operation in the Palestinian territory.
Israel’s Defense Minister, Israel Katz, announced that the camps in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams are now “empty” and will be occupied by the Israeli military for a year.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have deployed a tank division around Jenin, marking the first time this has happened since 2002. The Palestinian Authority has expressed condemnation regarding these actions.
The United Nations previously stated that Israel’s operation, which started on January 21 and intensified recently, has led to the “forced displacement” of 40,000 people.
According to Israel Katz, approximately 40,000 Palestinians have been evacuated from the refugee camps of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams, leaving them devoid of residents.
He instructed the troops to prepare for a prolonged presence in the cleared camps over the coming year, with the objective of preventing the return of residents and the resurgence of terrorism.
Israel also directed the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency (Unrwa) to halt its operations in the area.
Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, criticized the deployment of tanks as a “dangerous Israeli escalation” that will not lead to stability or calm.
The IDF stated that it is “continuing the operation to thwart terrorism” and expanding its “offensive activity,” which has so far involved drones, tanks, special forces, border police, and operatives from the intelligence agency Shin Bet.
Since the Israeli operations commenced on January 21, the UN reported that 51 Palestinians, including seven children, have been killed in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas governorates, alongside three Israeli soldiers.
The UN further mentioned that the offensive has caused significant damage to water and sanitation infrastructure, disrupting access to water for “tens of thousands of people.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Tulkarm refugee camp on Friday and instructed the army to intensify “operational activity.” He emphasized their efforts in targeting terrorist strongholds, destroying streets used by terrorists, and eliminating terrorists and their commanders.
Netanyahu’s visit came in response to the explosion of three buses in Tel Aviv, which Israeli officials suspect was a terrorism-related incident caused by bombs similar to those found in the West Bank.
Israel occupied the West Bank in the 1967 Six Day War and has since established about 160 settlements housing approximately 700,000 Jews. However, these settlements are considered illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this claim.
