UNRWA: 40,000 displaced Palestinians in West Bank due to "Israeli" army operations

United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reported in a statement released Monday, that nearly 40,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced in the northern West Bank due to escalating "Israeli" military operations.

Since January 21, "Israeli" forces' ongoing operation, "Iron Wall," has emptied several refugee camps in the region, making it the longest military campaign in the West Bank since the second intifada. UNRWA emphasized that these repeated and destructive operations have left northern refugee camps uninhabitable, resulting in a cycle of displacement for residents.

“The repeated and destructive operations have rendered the northern refugee camps uninhabitable, trapping residents in cyclical displacement,” the agency stated.

Nearly 40,000 Palestine Refugees have been forcibly displaced from the northern #WestBank as Israeli military operations escalate at an alarming rate.

Since 21 January, Israeli Forces’ Operation "Iron Wall" has nearly emptied several refugee camps, making it the longest military… pic.twitter.com/V4DwQeMgj9

— UNRWA (@UNRWA) February 10, 2025

Last year, more than 60 percent of the displacement in the West Bank was attributed to Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) operations. UNRWA described the forced displacement in the occupied West Bank as the result of a dangerously coercive environment, citing the increasing use of air strikes, armored bulldozers, controlled detonations, and advanced weaponry by "Israeli" forces—tools that have become commonplace due to the spillover of the war in Gaza.

The agency also revealed that it no longer has any contact with "Israeli" authorities following the implementation of two laws on Jan. 30. These laws, which prohibit UNRWA from operating in "Israeli" territory and ban "Israeli" officials from interacting with the agency, have left the organization unable to raise concerns about civilian suffering or advocate for the urgent need for humanitarian aid.

UNRWA warned that this situation “puts at grave risk the lives of Palestinians and the UNRWA staff who serve them.”

Meanwhile, the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that ongoing "Israeli" operations in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Tubas continue to cause civilian casualties, with at least 40 people killed since Jan. 21.

OCHA noted that the World Food Programme (WFP) and other partners have been providing aid to affected communities, reaching nearly 1,200 households with cash assistance. However, displacement in Jenin remains a significant concern, as the operations continue to affect local populations.