The humanitarian crisis in the northern West Bank is deepening as more than 32,000 Palestinians remain forcibly displaced from Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams refugee camps as a result of a sweeping military operation by Israeli occupation forces.

According to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), the scale of displacement is now so vast that entire camps stand as ghost towns, their former residents scattered and unable to return.

Yet Israeli forces continue to issue new demolition orders targeting structures in the abandoned camps, raising concerns about the long-term consequences for thousands of uprooted families.

On January 21, the Israeli army initiated a large-scale offensive in the Jenin refugee camp, later extending its operations to the Tulkarem and Nur Shams camps and additional locations throughout the northern West Bank.

This week, Israeli authorities delivered demolition orders for 12 additional buildings in Jenin Camp, with another 11 structures designated for partial demolition. The operations are slated to begin on 28 November, despite the fact that the camp’s population has already been entirely displaced.

These orders follow sweeping demolition campaigns earlier this year. In March and June, Israeli forces issued mass notices against more than 190 buildings in Jenin Camp, while over 20 buildings were destroyed in a controlled detonation in February. UNRWA said such measures further entrench displacement and make eventual return far more difficult.

“Tens of thousands of people have already lost their homes, their neighborhoods, and their sense of safety. Instead of enabling their return, these new demolitions deepen their displacement and prolong their suffering,” said Roland Friedrich, UNRWA’s Director of Affairs for the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

He stressed that the continued destruction of civilian infrastructure “goes against the basic principles of international law” and undermines any prospects for recovery.

“The camps need to be rebuilt – not further destroyed – and their residents allowed to return and restore their lives. They must not be trapped in interminable displacement,” Friedrich added.

UNRWA warned that without an immediate halt to demolitions and a pathway for residents to return, the displacement crisis—already affecting tens of thousands—risks becoming permanent, with devastating social and humanitarian consequences.