Human Rights Watch alleges Israeli forces committed war crimes in the occupied West Bank

Human Rights Watch says Israel’s expulsions from West Bank refugee camps amount to war crimes

Human Rights Watch released a 105-page report alleging that about 32,000 Palestinians were forcibly displaced from the Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps during Israeli “Operation Iron Wall” in January and February. The rights group says the expulsions, destruction of homes and denial of return meet the thresholds for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

• The report, titled “All My Dreams Have Been Erased,” documents the expulsions and calls for urgent international measures to hold Israeli officials accountable.
• HRW says it verified more than 850 structures destroyed or heavily damaged; a UN assessment put the figure at 1,460 buildings.
• Israeli forces have said demolition of infrastructure was necessary to prevent militant use, but gave no timetable for return of residents.

How HRW corroborated its findings

HRW combined eyewitness interviews, satellite imagery, demolition orders and verified videos to build its case. The organization interviewed dozens of displaced residents and analyzed visual and documentary evidence to trace orders, damage and patterns of expulsion.

• Investigators interviewed 31 displaced Palestinians from the three camps and examined satellite photos showing widespread razing of structures.
• HRW reviewed demolition orders and military communications it says show no lawful basis for sweeping expulsions and blanket bans on return.
• Verified video footage and survivor testimony describe coordinated house-to-house operations, ransacking and the use of drones to order families out.

Evidence of forcible displacement

Testimonies collected by HRW describe families ordered out by loudspeaker, bulldozers razing buildings as people fled, and an absence of shelter or aid from authorities. The organization says many families were left to shelter with relatives or in community facilities.

Survivor accounts: daily life upended

Displaced residents describe immediate loss of possessions, medications and basic necessities as they were driven from their homes. The human cost, HRW says, extends beyond damaged property to long-term disruption of community life established in the camps since the 1950s.

• Hisham Abu Tabeekh, expelled from Jenin, told investigators his family left with nothing — no food, medicine or money — and are now living in precarious conditions.
• Many displaced people sought refuge in mosques, schools and charity facilities; others crowded into relatives’ homes already strained by limited resources.
• The camps were established in the 1950s and housed generations of refugees; HRW warns that bans on return risk permanent erasure of those communities.

Community infrastructure destroyed

HRW and UN assessments differ on the exact toll, but both indicate extensive destruction of homes and public facilities. The loss of shelters, shops and services deepens the humanitarian emergency for families already under strain.

Legal assessment and calls for accountability

HRW concludes that the expulsions and related actions could constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity and urges prosecutions of senior officials responsible. The group recommends a suite of international responses to prevent further abuses and to enforce accountability.

• HRW calls for criminal investigations and prosecutions of Israeli officials for war crimes and crimes against humanity, citing forced displacement and demolition of civilian property.
• The rights group urges governments to consider targeted sanctions, suspension of arms sales, trade measures and enforcement of International Criminal Court warrants.
• HRW frames the expulsions within patterns it says amount to persecution and apartheid, while noting “ethnic cleansing” is a descriptive — not strictly legal — term for unlawful removal of a population.

International law context

The Geneva Conventions prohibit forcible displacement of civilians from occupied territory except for temporary, imperative military reasons or their security. HRW says the evidence does not justify mass, indefinite expulsions or blanket bans on return.

Israel’s response and security rationale

The Israeli military said it demolished civilian infrastructure to deny militants places to operate and has framed the operations as targeting “terrorist elements.” Military statements have not provided clear timelines for return or detailed legal justification for mass displacements.

• Official Israeli communications emphasized security aims and the need to neutralize militant threats in the West Bank camps.
• Israeli authorities have not publicly specified when or under what conditions displaced residents might be allowed to go back.
• Israel contests characterizations of its actions as breaches of international law by describing the West Bank as “disputed” rather than “occupied.”

Wider West Bank dynamics since October 2023

HRW places the expulsions in the broader context of heightened West Bank violence and policy shifts since the Hamas-led attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. The past year has seen increased killings, demolitions, detentions and a surge in settler attacks, the report notes.

• HRW says nearly 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank since Oct. 7, alongside expanded detention without trial and accelerated settlement construction.
• The United Nations recorded at least 264 settler attacks on Palestinians in October alone, the largest monthly total in its tracking history.
• Human rights groups warn that security operations, settlement expansion and settler violence together undermine prospects for civilian protection and durable peace.

Policy options and possible next steps

HRW urges immediate international intervention to prevent further displacement, ensure humanitarian access and pursue accountability mechanisms. Governments and institutions face choices about sanctions, legal action and diplomatic pressure to compel remedial steps.

• Possible measures include targeted sanctions on officials, suspension of military and economic cooperation, and bans on settlement-produced goods.
• Humanitarian agencies must be allowed access to displaced people and to assess shelter, food and medical needs while returns remain barred.
• Enforcement of existing International Criminal Court orders and fresh investigations could be avenues for accountability, HRW says.

As attention to Gaza remains intense, HRW warns the West Bank expulsions risk becoming a parallel, entrenched crisis with long-term consequences for displaced communities. The report asks international actors to act now to prevent further erasure of refugee camps and to uphold protections under international law.

By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.