Photo credit: The National
According to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, tens of thousands of people in the occupied West Bank have been denied the right to return to their homes, nearly a year after Israel initiated a large-scale military operation in the region.
Out of 40,000 people who were forced to leave refugee camps in the northern part of the Palestinian territory earlier this year, 32,000 have not been allowed to return amid a “systematic demolition” of civilian housing and infrastructure, Roland Friedrich, director of UNRWA Affairs in the West Bank, told The National, News.Az reports.
“This is a clear case of forcible displacement,” he said.
Israel launched Operation Iron Wall in the West Bank in January, which has been described as one of the largest military offensives in the territory’s recent history.
The Israeli military sent tanks, snipers and special forces into the city of Jenin, days after a ceasefire came into effect in Gaza, raiding refugee camps that were already struggling with difficult living conditions.
According to a UN report, the military assault resulted in the longest and most extensive displacement crisis since Israeli seized the territory in 1967.
“It was a new level of escalation not seen before,” said Mr Friedrich.
Almost a year later, three of the besieged refugee camps in Jenin remain empty, he told The National.
“You have a situation where people are actively prevented from returning [to their homes],” said Mr Friedrich. “This leads to a lot of human suffering. It is a clear violation of international law. And it creates a situation where you have more despair, more anger and more frustration on the ground.”
A fragile ceasefire that came into effect in Gaza in October has done little to curb violence in the West Bank.