Jerusalem: Human Rights Watch has declared that the Israeli government's forced displacement of residents from three West Bank refugee camps in early 2025 amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Human Rights Watch reported that Israeli authorities have barred 32,000 displaced individuals from the Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams camps from returning to their homes, many of which were intentionally demolished. Nadia Hardman, a Human Rights Watch researcher on refugee and migrant rights, stated that Israeli forces forcibly evicted thousands of Palestinians, violating international legal protections.
The report highlights that while global focus was on Gaza, Israeli actions in the West Bank, including apparent ethnic cleansing, went largely unnoticed. Human Rights Watch used satellite imagery, videos, and photographs to assess the Israeli military's impact on the camps, noting the destruction and strategic sealing off of entrances.
The organization's analysis showed that within six months, over 850 homes and structures were destroyed or significantly damaged. Human Rights Watch emphasized that the displacement of Palestinians constitutes ethnic cleansing, as it involves the forced removal of one ethnic group by another.
The report urged an investigation into Israeli officials, including Avi Blot, Herzi Halevi, Eyal Zamir, Defense Ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Yisrael Katz, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for potential war crimes and crimes against humanity. Human Rights Watch called on the International Criminal Court to probe these officials under universal jurisdiction.
Human Rights Watch also recommended targeted sanctions against Israeli leaders involved in the violations, urging governments to apply pressure on Israel to cease repressive practices, impose an arms embargo, and suspend preferential trade agreements.
Nadia Hardman stressed the need for international action to prevent further oppression in the West Bank, despite a fragile truce in Gaza. The organization urged the execution of arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court for those implicated in crimes against Palestinians.
