JERUSALEM / PNN /
Tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians in the northern West Bank are without adequate shelter, essential services, or access to healthcare following Israel’s military operation “Iron Wall,” according to Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The organization warned that the humanitarian situation is deteriorating rapidly and called for an immediate halt to forced displacement.
“The scale of destruction and forced displacement is unlike anything seen in decades,” said Brice de la Vingne, MSF’s director of operations. “People cannot return to their homes because Israeli forces have blocked access to the camps, destroying houses and infrastructure.”
The displacement follows the January 2025 ceasefire in Gaza, which ended months of fighting between Israel and Hamas. In the aftermath, Israel intensified military operations in the occupied West Bank, targeting refugee camps in Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 40,000 Palestinians have been forcibly displaced since the operation began.
Residents described the evacuations as sudden and devastating. “The [Israeli] army raided our house and ordered us to evacuate,” said Issam, a displaced resident of Nur Shams. “We weren’t allowed to take anything—not even our documents.”
Israeli military officials have defended the operation, saying it targets militant infrastructure and aims to prevent future attacks. However, humanitarian organizations report severe impacts on civilians, including restricted medical access and worsening mental health conditions.
“The mental health crisis is alarming,” said Mohammad, an MSF community health educator. “People don’t know what happened to their homes, and many have lost their sense of purpose.”
MSF, which previously operated in the three affected camps, has shifted to mobile clinics in Tulkarem and Jenin, treating displaced individuals for chronic illnesses such as diabetes and hypertension, respiratory infections, and musculoskeletal disorders. The organization is also distributing hygiene kits, food parcels, and providing water to Jenin’s Khalil Suleiman hospital, which has faced repeated shortages due to military activity.
Since the outbreak of the war in Gaza in October 2023, violence in the West Bank has surged. According to the World Health Organization, 930 Palestinians—including 187 children—have been killed in Israeli operations.
As the humanitarian crisis deepens, MSF warned that international aid efforts remain insufficient. “The needs in the West Bank are only growing, and the response must be scaled up urgently,” de la Vingne said.
