The longest Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank since the 2000s has left tens of thousands of Palestinians without proper shelter, healthcare, or other services, according to a medical charity working there.
Israel started the Iron Wall military operation days after the now-failed ceasefire in Gaza had come into force last January, with the stated aim of “strengthening security”.
In the West Bank, which is variously controlled by the Palestinian Authority and Israel, analysts have long warned of a “silent war”. More than 200 Palestinians were killed there between January and September 2023. Those numbers escalated after October 7th, 2023, with another 930 Palestinians killed, including 187 children, figures shared by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) showed.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says close to 1,900 incidents of violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank were recorded between October 7th, 2023 and December 31st last year. It says 58 Israelis were killed there between January 2023 and last month.
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Justine Lefeuve, an advocacy manager with MSF, said Palestinians who have been recently displaced have been forced into makeshift shelters, including community halls, schools and mosques, or are staying with family members or are renting.
“Many people have lost their homes and sources of income. MSF staff in Jenin and Tulkarem have also been displaced, and, in one case, a colleague’s home was demolished before he could retrieve any of his belongings. Families have been separated as people flee in different directions, seeking safety wherever possible. The situation has left many in complete uncertainty about their future,” she said.
Pregnant women and people with chronic illnesses are struggling to access care, she said. “At the same time, the mental health toll is immense.”
[ Israel’s Unrwa ban will have an adverse effect on the humanitarian effort in Gaza ]
Israeli forces have been accused of destroying infrastructure in Jenin refugee camp – long known as a centre of armed resistance – including water and communications systems. An Israeli military spokesperson accused militants of planting explosive devices within civilian infrastructure, saying Israeli forces “constantly work to minimise damage” and make efforts to repair what was damaged “as a result of counterterrorism operations”.
The spokesperson said the IDF does not generally “evacuate” the population in what they referred to as “Judea and Samaria”. The spokesperson said: “However, the IDF has allowed local residents who wish to distance themselves from combat areas to leave safely through designated crossings secured by the forces.”
The spokesperson said the IDF acted in accordance with international law, while accusing militants of using “civilian infrastructure, including medical and religious facilities, for terrorist purposes, thereby endangering these infrastructures and uninvolved civilians staying near them”. The spokesperson shared four videos – seemingly drone footage – saying these showed gunmen in the vicinity of hospitals in the West Bank.
Solidarity protests with Palestinians in Gaza and elsewhere have been held in neighbouring countries. One, on Thursday night in the Syrian capital Damascus, brought out around 200 people in the evening, with many chanting “Israel out”. Israel has also been carrying out air strikes in Syria and is occupying territory on its southern border.
Last July, the UN’s top court, the Hague-based International Court of Justice, issued an advisory opinion, stating Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem was illegal.
The court said Israel was “under the obligation to bring an end to its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory as rapidly as possible”, and that reparations should be paid to Palestinians for the damages caused by it.
Last Friday, Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner general for Unrwa, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, said: “The ongoing Israeli forces operations has caused systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure and homes, aiming to permanently change the character of Palestinian cities and refugee camps at a scale unjustifiable by any purported military or law enforcement aims.
“Several red lines have already been crossed, violating principles of international law that always emphasise the protection of civilians, civilian infrastructure, and private property including homes.”
Among the people MSF is caring for, Lefeuve said, “many ... do not know if they will return to their homes as some have been completely demolished. When asked what they want, the answer is always the same: ‘We want to return home’.”
