Israeli military operations in the northern West Bank constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Nov. 20 in a report [8] documenting the forced displacement of approximately 32,000 Palestinians from three refugee camps beginning in January 2025. The report charges that Israeli forces committed mass forcible displacement as part of a widespread attack on civilians, accusations that, if substantiated, would constitute crimes against humanity under international law.
"The organized, forced displacement of Palestinians in the refugee camps has removed nearly the entire Palestinian population from these areas," the report stated, noting that residents of Jenin [9], Tulkarm [10] and Nur Shams [11] camps have been denied the right to return nearly a year after the operations concluded.
The refugee camps in the West Bank were established following the 1948 Arab-Israeli war [14], when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were displaced from their homes. Those who fled or were expelled from areas that became part of the State of Israel were housed in UN-administered camps [15] in neighboring territories, including the West Bank and Gaza. Originally intended as temporary solutions in the absence of a mutually acceptable solution to the Israel-Palestine land disputes, the camps have persisted for over 75 years, and have become densely populated residential areas.
Israeli forces used heavy weaponry to empty the camps, giving residents abrupt orders to leave during active military operations, HRW reported.
The Israeli military stated that the operations targeted "terrorists [16]" and were mandated by security imperatives. In an October response to Human Rights Watch, the military confirmed its involvement in the operation, stating:
The operation was based on the understanding that terrorists exploit the terrain and the densely built environment of the camps, which restricts the IDF's freedom of action. And that Hamas plants explosive devices in houses, civilian infrastructure, and along traffic routes in order to detonate them, thus endangering the lives of security forces and local residents.
According to HRW, the Israeli military’s response left a number of gaps:
The Israeli military did not explain why the displacement of the entire population of all three camps was necessary to achieve its aims, nor whether alternatives had been considered. Rather, it stated that the “IDF has had to operate for an extended period of time, as required by operational needs and the circumstances on the ground.” The response did not answer Human Rights Watch’s questions about whether Israeli authorities had attempted to provide food, shelter, and access to medical services for the civilian population it had displaced, as required under international humanitarian law.
International humanitarian law prohibits [17] forcible displacement of civilians in occupied territories except in specific, limited circumstances with safeguards. Human Rights Watch found Israeli forces failed to meet these requirements, including providing safe evacuation routes or humanitarian assistance to displaced residents.
The organization called for investigations by the International Criminal Court [18] and domestic authorities under universal jurisdiction, and recommended targeted sanctions against Israeli officials including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and military commanders.
The matter may add to the cases [19] already under investigation by the International Criminal Court, which issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders in November 2024 on charges stemming from the broader conflict.
From JURIST [20], Nov. 20. Used with permission.
See our report on Operation "Iron Wall [21]."
