Israel has forcibly displaced more than 20,000 Palestinians from the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, a Palestinian official said on Sunday.
“The (Israeli) occupation has entirely destroyed the Jenin refugee camp and forcibly displaced over 20,000 residents, leaving behind their homes, documents, and personal belongings,” Jenin Deputy Governor Mansour al-Saadi told the Voice of Palestine radio.
The displaced residents are expected to seek shelter in other cities across the West Bank, as destruction caused by the Israeli assault makes their return impossible.
The Israeli attacks and destruction are “a conspiracy against the refugee issue, aimed at erasing it entirely,” Saadi said.
The Palestinian official characterized the Israeli offensive on Jenin city and its refugee camp as “collective punishment” targeting nearly 400,000 residents of the city.
He highlighted the severe economic losses caused by the ongoing assault as well as the disruption of the education system.
He appealed to international human rights and legal organizations to “enter the camp and document the extent of the Israeli crime given the strong likelihood that the bodies of dead and injured individuals remain buried under the rubble of destroyed homes.”
The Israeli escalation follows a broader Israeli military offensive that began on Jan. 21 in Jenin and its refugee camp, as well as surrounding towns, killing at least 25 people, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The army expanded its assault into Tulkarem on Jan. 27, killing five more people. On Feb. 2, another assault was launched in the town of Tammun and the Far’a refugee camp in the Tubas city.
The escalation follows a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal in Gaza on Jan. 19, after more than 15 months of Israel bombardment, which has killed nearly 48,200 Palestinians and devastated the enclave.
Since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 906 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, according to the Health Ministry.
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