UN report warns of possible ethnic cleansing amid Israeli displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank

Friday 04 September 2026 - 17:32

By: Azzat Manal

UN report warns of possible ethnic cleansing amid Israeli displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank

A new report by the United Nations human rights office has raised serious concerns over the forced displacement of Palestinians from refugee camps in the occupied West Bank, warning that the scale and nature of the expulsions could amount to serious violations of international law and raise concerns about ethnic cleansing.

The report, titled “Destruction of refugee camps in the northern West Bank,” documents the displacement of residents from the Jenin, Nur Shams and Tulkarm refugee camps during Israel’s ongoing military operation known as “Iron Wall.” According to the UN assessment, Israeli military and security forces killed civilians, destroyed or damaged hundreds of homes and affected essential infrastructure, including roads, water and electricity networks.

The UN said humanitarian access to the camps was also restricted, while residents reported that security forces moved from house to house to compel people to leave. The operation resulted in the three camps being emptied of their Palestinian populations, with residents subsequently prevented from returning.

By October 2025, approximately 52% of buildings in the Jenin refugee camp had been destroyed or damaged, compared with 48% in Nur Shams and 36% in Tulkarm, according to the report.

The three camps are among 19 Palestinian refugee camps established in the West Bank following the mass displacement of Palestinians during the 1948 Nakba. They have been administered by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or UNRWA.

The UN report said the operation displaced more than 33,000 Palestinians from the three camps on a large-scale and prolonged basis. It argued that the systematic nature of the displacement, combined with the destruction of residential areas and restrictions on return, raised serious concerns over the international-law prohibition of forcible transfer.

Some displaced Palestinians told UN investigators that Israeli officers had informed them that the refugee camps would no longer exist and that residents should leave for Jordan.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the manner in which the operation was conducted suggested an objective of displacing large numbers of Palestinians and creating conditions that could facilitate further Israeli settlement expansion.

The report also documented the use of airstrikes, combat drones, shoulder-launched explosive weapons and armored bulldozers during the operation. The UN said these weapons and tactics, designed primarily for warfare, resulted in deaths and injuries among Palestinians who were reportedly unarmed and did not appear to pose an immediate threat.

During the period covered by the report, Israeli forces killed 102 Palestinians in the operation, including 21 children. The UN said these deaths represented 46% of all Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank during the same period.

The Israeli government has defended its military operations in the West Bank as necessary for security and counterterrorism purposes. However, the UN report said the destruction of entire residential areas, forced displacement and the continued prevention of residents from returning, in the absence of an overriding military necessity, were incompatible with international humanitarian law and could amount to collective punishment.

On February 23, 2025, Israel’s defense minister ordered the military to remain in the three refugee camps and said displaced Palestinians would not be allowed to return.

According to UNRWA figures cited in the report, around 33,362 Palestinian refugees from the three camps remained forcibly displaced as of July 2026.

The UN has called on Israel to halt measures that could lead to further forced displacement and to comply with its obligations under international law. The report adds to growing international concern over the humanitarian and legal consequences of Israeli military operations and settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank.