Some 25 buildings in a West Bank camp face imminent demolition starting on 18 December, threatening hundreds of forcibly displaced Palestinians, according to Roland Friedrich, Director of UNRWA Affairs for the occupied West Bank. Satellite imagery indicates that nearly half of all buildings in the camp, 48 percent, had already been damaged or destroyed before this latest order, highlighting the scale of destruction the community has endured. Friedrich emphasized that these demolitions, justified by Israeli authorities as “military necessity,” do not enhance safety and are part of a broader pattern of attempts to exert long-term control over northern West Bank camps, permanently altering their topography.
In January, a large-scale Israeli military operation displaced thousands of Palestinian refugees across the northern West Bank, initially targeting the Jenin refugee camp before extending to Tulkarm, Nur Shams, and El Far’a camps. Friedrich stressed that the forced displacement of over 32,000 refugees in the region must not become permanent, noting that residents have been waiting 11 months to return to their homes, with each demolition further diminishing that hope.
UNRWA provides support to nearly six million Palestinian refugees across the Middle East, including 19 camps in the occupied West Bank. At Nur Shams camp, 13,739 people were registered in 2023, with two UNRWA schools serving approximately 1,571 students. Residents also rely on the camp’s primary health center for services including reproductive health, infant and child care, immunizations, screenings, and general medical care.
Escalating violence in the West Bank has drawn alarm from the UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Ramiz Alakbarov. In a Security Council briefing, he reported that Israeli security operations in northern camps have caused high fatalities, widespread displacement, and extensive destruction, particularly in refugee camps. Alakbarov emphasized that continued Israeli military presence violates obligations to end the unlawful occupation.
Alakbarov also condemned ongoing Israeli settlement expansion, which he said fuels tensions, limits Palestinian land access, and threatens the viability of a contiguous Palestinian state. Settlement activity reached its highest level this year since the UN began tracking nearly a decade ago, coinciding with increased settler attacks that further entrench occupation and undermine Palestinian self-determination.
Rising settler violence has particularly affected Palestinian farmers during the olive harvest, with reports of assaults, harassment, destruction of olive trees, and ruined harvests. Alakbarov called on Israel to comply with international law, including the International Court of Justice advisory opinion of 19 July 2024, which obliges Israel to cease all new settlement activities, evacuate settlers, and end its unlawful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
