Kathmandu— A United Nations Human Rights report has concluded that Israel's military operation in the occupied West Bank, codenamed Operation Iron Wall, which displaced over 33,000 Palestinians from three refugee camps in January and February 2025, appears to constitute ethnic cleansing under international law, with the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights stating the operation's aim was to expel Palestinians to make way for illegal settlements.

Operation Iron Wall's Impact

Israel's military actions during Operation Iron Wall in January and February 2025 resulted in the displacement of more than 33,000 residents from the Jenin, Nur Shams, and Tulkarem refugee camps, according to the UN Human Rights report titled Destruction of Palestinian refugee camps in northern West Bank.

The report documented that Israeli forces used air strikes, armored bulldozers, and controlled detonations to render entire areas uninhabitable, with displaced Palestinians reporting being told by Israeli officers that there would be no more refugee camps and that they should "all go to Jordan."

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stated that the operation's conduct suggests its aim was to expel as many Palestinians as possible and to make way for more illegal Israeli settlements, in further violation of international law.

Legal and Humanitarian Concerns

The UN report emphasized that the large-scale, long-term, and systematic displacement of the Palestinian population could amount to a crime against humanity of forcible transfer, particularly when conducted without imperative military necessity.

It stressed that the use of air strikes, armored bulldozers, and controlled detonations to render areas uninhabitable is not permissible under international law, and called on Israel to end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territory as rapidly as possible.

The report also highlighted that at least 21 children were killed during the military operation, including a 10-year-old boy shot in the stomach in Tulkarem and a two-year-old girl shot in the head in Jenin while having dinner with her family.

The UN has urged Israel to halt any efforts to forcibly displace more Palestinians and to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis affecting over 33,000 displaced refugees.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.