DaysofPal- One year after the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) launched their “Iron Wall” operation, refugee camps in the northern West Bank remain engulfed in destruction, mass displacement, and an ongoing humanitarian crisis, as Palestinian officials and residents say the campaign was aimed at dismantling the camps and stripping them of their national and political identity.
The operation began on January 21, 2025, in the Jenin refugee camp and later expanded to Tulkarm, Nur Shams, and other camps, accompanied by tight military sieges, repeated incursions, and widespread demolition of homes, public institutions, and vital infrastructure. Twelve months later, its impact continues to shape the daily lives of tens of thousands of Palestinians, amid striking international silence.
Official figures indicate that nearly 50,000 Palestinians have been displaced from the Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams camps over the past year.
Dozens were killed, hundreds wounded, and many others arrested, while thousands of residential and commercial buildings and service facilities were destroyed.
Infrastructure across the three camps, including water, electricity, telecommunications, sewage systems, and roads, has been almost entirely ruined.
Ongoing Israeli restrictions on the entry of repair and reconstruction equipment have left large areas uninhabitable, effectively turning the camps into zones unsuitable for human life.
Political activist Jamal al-Zubaidi described the situation in Jenin camp as catastrophic, saying Israeli forces continue daily demolitions, road construction, and expansion projects with little regard for civilian life or existing infrastructure.
He said new roads linking the camp to surrounding urban areas are intended to dissolve its status as a distinct geographic entity and erase its political symbolism as a center of refuge and resistance.
Similar measures in nearby areas, he added, are designed to blur the boundaries between camp and city, undermining the camps’ unique social and national character.
Al-Zubaidi warned that abandoning displaced residents without meaningful support represents a serious national failure with long-term humanitarian, social, and political consequences.
Mohammad Ammara, a member of the Central Committee of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and a resident of Tulkarm camp, said that following the incursions of January 27, 2025, the Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps appeared as though they had been struck by a powerful earthquake.
He said Israeli forces sealed the camps with military gates and barred Palestinians from entering, transforming once densely populated neighborhoods into deserted spaces inhabited only by animals, reflecting what he described as a clear intention to erase the camps altogether. Ammara said Israeli occupation has since begun constructing new roads based on security-driven plans, linking the camps to neighboring city districts in an effort to eliminate them not only as physical spaces but also as symbols deeply rooted in Palestinian national consciousness.
He warned that the destruction of livelihoods and the economic foundations of camp residents is part of a broader strategy to push Palestinians toward forced migration outside the West Bank by creating an environment of insecurity and despair.
According to Ammara, displaced families continue to face dire conditions due to the absence of effective government support, with assistance limited to 3,000 shekels from UNRWA and 600 shekels from the Palestinian Authority president, amounts he said fall far short of meeting basic needs.
He also criticized the government of Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa for failing to implement promised economic programs, while the suspension of stipends to families of those killed, wounded, or imprisoned has further deepened the crisis, describing the decision as catastrophic amid an ongoing military campaign.
Both Ammara and al-Zubaidi said Israeli actions go beyond targeting armed resistance, instead seeking to dismantle the very idea of resistance within Palestinian society through comprehensive destruction, forced urban restructuring, and the erosion of social foundations in the camps.
They argued that the lack of effective international intervention, what they described as bias in Israeli favor, limited media coverage, and weak Palestinian diplomatic pressure have all contributed to the continuation of the operation.
Al-Zubaidi also pointed to Palestinian Authority security operations in and around the camps before and during the Israeli offensive, including the arrest of hundreds of young men, describing security coordination with the Israeli occupation as a severe blow to the resistance environment.
Despite the heavy human and material toll, both figures stressed that attempts to eliminate resistance have historically failed, arguing that current events are likely to deepen resistance, particularly among younger generations.
Ammara said the prolonged military operation reflects the absence of meaningful political pressure on the Israeli occupation and called for urgent Palestinian and international action to force a withdrawal and begin rehabilitating the camps.
One year after the offensive began, the refugee camps continue to suffer as tens of thousands of displaced residents live in uncertainty, homelessness, and insecurity, with no clear prospects for reconstruction or a return to normal life.
While critics say the Israeli occupation is betting on time and destruction, Palestinians insist that the refugee camp, regardless of changes to its physical form, will remain a living testament to the refugee cause, and that identity and resistance are stronger than bulldozers and imposed realities.
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