Thousands of exiled West Bank residents face uncertain months ahead

Alaa Aufa is struggling to adjust to life after the upheaval. He said, "The army kicked us out, and my wife, my family, and I left with nothing." He added, "Our documents, clothes, and everything in the house were left behind, leaving us in a very difficult situation."

A month ago, Israeli forces raided the Tulkarm refugee camp, causing thousands of residents to flee. At the local Palestinian governor's office, we saw displaced refugee camp residents seeking assistance. Some were struggling to find affordable housing, while others, like Mr. Aufa, needed to retrieve essential items but were prevented from returning home by Israeli forces.

Mr. Aufa said, "My wife is due to give birth next week. I can't take her to the hospital because I need the insurance policy and ID card, but they're all left at home." What Israel calls "Operation Iron Wall," targeting Palestinian armed groups, has led to the displacement of approximately 40,000 people from four refugee camps in the northern occupied West Bank – Tulkarm, Nur Shams, Jenin, and al-Far'a.

Aid agencies say this is the largest instance of forced displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank since the Israeli army occupied the West Bank during the 1967 Six-Day War. It is also the first time these refugee camps have been almost completely evacuated since the camps were established in the early 1950s for Palestinians who fled or were driven from their homes.

Since the operation began in January, Israeli forces have bulldozed roads and destroyed homes. On the eastern edge of the Tulkarm refugee camp, a wide scar can be seen where dense housing once stood. Israeli soldiers can be seen patrolling what now looks like streets. Elsewhere, roads leading to the refugee camp have been churned up, with armored bulldozers creating piles of dirt and muddy puddles, and sidewalks and storefronts have been damaged. A UN concrete sign that once stood above a main entrance to the refugee camp, now impassable, has been toppled.

According to UN data, at least 51 Palestinians, including 7 children, have been killed by Israeli forces in the northern West Bank since the operation began. Three soldiers have also been killed by Palestinian gunmen, one in a firefight in Jenin and two in an attack on a checkpoint in Tubas.

The Israeli military says they are targeting Palestinian armed groups located within the refugee camps, which they accuse of launching a series of roadside bomb attacks against Israeli soldiers and civilians. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Sunday that the army was "fighting Islamic terrorism in Judea and Samaria," the Israeli term for the West Bank. He said he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to "prepare for a long-term presence in the cleared refugee camps for the coming year." Simultaneously, Katz ordered tanks to take up positions in the Jenin refugee camp and surrounding city for the first time in more than 20 years. Beyond emphasizing the government’s tough message, it is unclear what role these four tanks will play.

A military official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, "The IDF is operating in a very complex urban environment." Referring to Israel's wars with Hamas and Hezbollah, the official said, "We've done it in Gaza, we've done it in villages in southern Lebanon. We are doing it in those communities in Judea and Samaria because we are facing a threat."

Military officials say there were no orders to evacuate civilians. In a statement, the military said, "The IDF allows local residents who wish to move away from the combat zone to leave safely through designated crossing points." But residents of the refugee camps say they were forced to leave, some under fire. Others said the instructions to leave were issued via drones. A video from Jenin showed a drone flying over the refugee camp, appearing to broadcast a message: "Leave your homes, the army is coming."

The newly appointed Palestinian Governor of Tulkarm, Dr. Abdullah Kmeil, called "Operation Iron Wall" a "declaration of war." He told the BBC, "You are talking about an act of destruction. Economic and psychological destruction of the residents. These are things the Israelis are planning carefully." He said the aim was to create a "hostile environment" for the refugee camp residents, hoping they would leave and integrate into the general Palestinian population.

Meanwhile, Palestinians find themselves struggling with a range of new difficulties, both large and small. In the village of Qabatiya, south of Jenin, we found a driver frantically trying to reverse out of a muddy pothole left by Israeli bulldozers that had ripped up the streets. His car was stuck in the middle of the road, blocking traffic in both directions. In the center of a nearby roundabout, a miniature replica of Jerusalem's iconic Dome of the Rock mosque had been smashed to pieces.

Despite Israel Katz's warnings, no one knows how long this operation and the restrictions on civilians will last. Alaa Aufa said, "If we can't go home for a year, it will be a disaster. We will be on the streets with our children."