RAMALLAH / PNN/

The Palestine Liberation Organization’s Refugee Affairs Department has strongly condemned a new wave of Israeli demolition orders affecting more than 100 homes in the Jenin refugee camp, warning that such actions amount to war crimes and are part of a broader plan to forcibly displace Palestinians and eliminate refugee communities.

In a statement issued Monday, Dr. Ahmed Abu Holi, a member of the PLO Executive Committee and head of the Refugee Affairs Department, said the Israeli government's systematic demolition of homes in refugee camps across the northern West Bank—particularly in Jenin—amounts to forcible transfer and a deliberate policy aimed at emptying camps and erasing their presence, in a bid to undermine the right of return and liquidate the Palestinian refugee issue.

“This is part of Israel’s broader annexation strategy in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem,” Abu Holi stated.

He described the demolitions of civilian homes as war crimes and acts of ethnic cleansing, constituting flagrant violations of international law, the UN Charter, and related international resolutions.

According to Abu Holi, Israeli forces distributed a map identifying more than 100 homes in several neighbourhoods of Jenin camp slated for demolition within 72 hours of the order's issuance. He added that since the start of the Israeli military offensive on Jenin in January 2025, over 600 homes and structures have been either completely or partially destroyed, displacing more than 3,500 families, totalling approximately 15,340 individuals.

Abu Holi warned that such actions severely threaten regional peace and stability, calling on the international community to adopt a new approach to hold Israel accountable for its escalating violations in Gaza, the West Bank, and occupied East Jerusalem.

He further urged the international community to take immediate responsibility in halting what he described as Israel’s racist, displacement-focused policies, and to intervene to protect the camps, especially in the north of the West Bank, under international humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention.

The PLO official also affirmed that Palestinian and Arab diplomatic efforts are underway to confront any attempt at forced displacement—whether in Gaza or the West Bank, including Jerusalem—and to pursue accountability through international legal forums.