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Israel Emptying West Bank Refugee Camps Could Be Crime Against Humanity: UN
The UN said the operation displaced more than 33,000 people and used tactics that could amount to forcible transfer under international law.
On Friday, The United Nations warned that Israel's forced displacement of entire Palestinian populations from three West Bank refugee camps last year could amount to crimes against humanity.
Launched in January 2025, Israel's Operation Iron Wall aimed to prevent terrorism resurgence, with Defence Minister Israel Katz instructing troops to maintain prolonged presence and block residents' return.
The report states the operation killed 102 Palestinians, including at least 21 children, while rendering camps uninhabitable; as of July, about 33,362 displaced refugees remained unable to return.
High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stated the operation suggests an aim to expel Palestinians, though Israel's mission in Geneva rejected the report as 'vile activism' and accused it of 'spreading misinformation.'
The report stressed that Israel must 'end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory as rapidly as possible' and 'halt any efforts to forcibly displace more Palestinians.