ICHR Calls for Urgent International Intervention to Stop Israeli Military Operations in Camps and Areas of the Northern Occupied West Bank
The Independent Commission for Human Rights ( ICHR) condemns the escalation of Israeli occupation’s aggressive policies in the occupied West Bank, as well as the ongoing military operations and their expansion into the Jenin and Tulkarm refugee camps in the northern West Bank for over ten days.
The Israeli force's invasion of Palestinian camps in the northern West Bank has reached new levels of escalation, involving large-scale military operations accompanied by a severe blockade and air raids targeting civilian facilities and commercial establishments. Additionally, infrastructure is being destroyed, roads are being bulldozed, and residents are suffering from a complete cut-off of water and electricity, along with restrictions on food and medical aid, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.
The military operations have completely paralyzed daily life. Schools have been disrupted, hospitals have been placed under siege, and mass displacement has been recorded. In Jenin camp, Israeli forces have forced 3,420 out of 3,490 families to flee their homes. Raids have continued in Qabatiya, and operations have expanded to other areas such as Tubas, where residents of 15 buildings were ordered to evacuate and prohibited from returning for three weeks. Forced displacement has also affected communities in Al-Far’aa camp, while in Tulkarm camp, 1,500 families have been forcibly displaced.
This escalation is part of a systematic policy aimed at altering the demographic reality of the West Bank amid the absence of effective international intervention to stop these violations.
Alongside the increasing Israeli crimes against civilians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, occupation forces have intensified restrictions on freedom of movement throughout the occupied West Bank. Around 898 military checkpoints and iron gates have been deployed at the entrances of Palestinian cities, villages, and towns, paralyzing daily life, disrupting businesses, and hindering residents' ability to exercise their fundamental rights, including freedom of movement, work, education, medical care, and housing.
As military escalation in the northern West Bank continues, fears are growing that military operations will expand to include other areas, threatening an imminent humanitarian catastrophe for the local population.
According to the ICHR monitoring, the Israeli military and settlers have intensified their attacks in the occupied West Bank in parallel with the ongoing war of extermination in Gaza. Since October 7, 2023, more than 900 Palestinians have been killed, approximately 6,700 have been injured, and at least 14,300 Palestinian citizens have been arrested.
In light of these crimes committed by the Israeli occupation, the ICHR demands the following:
The international community to fulfill its obligations and take urgent action to stop these crimes and provide protection for Palestinians. The ICHR refers to the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice in July, as well as the UN General Assembly resolution in September approving the opinion and calling on third parties to take practical steps to end the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories.
The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to open an investigation into Israeli crimes against refugee camps.
The Permanent Investigative Committee, established by the UN Human Rights Council in 2021, conducts detailed investigations into all Israeli crimes committed in the West Bank, particularly in Palestinian refugee camps
