More than 40,100 Palestinians have abandoned their homes in northern West Bank communities since January 2024, marking the largest displacement since Israel captured the territory in 1967. Israeli military operations in Jenin, Tulkarem, Far’a and Nur Shams refugee camps – intensified following October’s Hamas attacks – echo tactics previously reserved for Gaza according to security analysts.
“This is our nakba,” said Abed Sabagh, born in Nur Shams camp to 1948 war refugees, echoing Palestinian trauma from Israel’s creation.
“When you add destruction of infrastructure, the camps are becoming uninhabitable,”warned UN Palestinian refugee agency director Roland Friedrich.
Key impacts driving displacement include:
- Active demolition of 2,400+ homes in 2024 (UN data)
- Disruption of water/sewer systems cutting basic services
- Snipers targeting refugees fleeing via pre-1948 escape routes
Video evidence shows soldiers issuing eviction orders via mosque loudspeakers – contradicting official Israeli denials. Displaced mother Ayat Abdullah described fleeing through sniper zones:
“Drones buzzed overhead as rain turned roads to mud... We brought only our children.”
With Israel’s far-right advocating West Bank annexation, Open University researcher Yagil Levy warns:
“The concept of Palestinian ‘cleansing’ now dominates mainstream security discussions.”Humanitarian groups report soldiers converting civilian homes into military barracks – many vandalized with Quran desecrations and explosives-ruptured walls.
As families shelter in mosques and schools, Mayor Thabet A’mar of Anabta insists:
“Our hospitality must not normalize permanent displacement.”Yet with each military withdrawal revealing destroyed infrastructure and psychological warfare tactics – including defaced children’s toys – survivors question if return remains possible.
