GENEVA: The United Nations has raised alarms over a dramatic surge in displacement across the occupied West Bank, reporting the highest levels since Israel’s occupation began in 1967.
According to UN officials, an Israeli military campaign launched in January 2025 in northern West Bank—dubbed "Operation Iron Wall"—has displaced approximately 30,000 Palestinians. Juliette Touma, spokeswoman for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), stated this marks the most significant population shift in nearly six decades, severely affecting refugee camps in the region.
The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights warned that such large-scale, forced displacement could constitute ethnic cleansing, potentially amounting to a crime against humanity. Spokesman Thameen Al-Kheetan highlighted that since October 2023, over 2,900 Palestinians have been displaced due to home demolitions across the West Bank. Additionally, more than 2,400 others—nearly half of them children—were forced to flee due to violent actions by Israeli settlers.
Since the start of 2025, Israeli settlers have carried out 757 attacks, a 13% increase from the same period last year, injuring 96 Palestinians in June alone—marking the highest monthly toll in over 20 years.
The situation has escalated significantly since the October 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, which sparked the ongoing war in Gaza. Since then, the UN reports that 964 Palestinians and 53 Israelis have been killed in the West Bank and Israel.
The UN emphasizes that forcibly removing civilians from occupied territory is unlawful and violates international humanitarian law.
