WASHINGTON: Israel’s expulsion of tens of thousands of Palestinians from three refugee camps in occupied West Bank earlier this year amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday, calling for urgent international measures to hold Israeli officials accountable and stop further abuses.
The rights group said about 32,000 residents of Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps were forcibly displaced by Israeli forces during Operation Iron Wall in January and February. The displaced have been barred from returning, and hundreds of homes were demolished, said the group’s 105-page report, “All My Dreams Have Been Erased”.
“Ten months after their displacement none of the family residents have been able to go back to their homes,” said Melina Ansari, a researcher for Human Rights Watch who worked on the report.
The Geneva Conventions prohibit displacement of civilians from occupied territory, except temporarily for imperative military reasons or their security. HRW said senior officials responsible should be prosecuted for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The report describes soldiers storming homes, ransacking property and ordering families out via loudspeakers mounted on drones. It said residents reported bulldozers razing buildings as they fled and that Israeli forces offered no shelter or aid.
Hisham Abu Tabeekh, who was expelled from Jenin, said that his family was not able to take anything when they were expelled.
Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2025
