The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has condemned Israel's destruction of the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, stating that the camp has been partially razed and approximately 30,000 Palestinians have been displaced.
UNRWA reported that the Israeli army demolished structures within the camp, located in the city of Jenin, which is known as a center of Palestinian resistance in the West Bank. The agency stated that the camp has been partially destroyed and that nearly 30,000 residents have been forcibly displaced.
The Israeli military launched a large-scale military operation in Jenin on January 21, targeting the camp. On Sunday, the Israeli army announced that at least 50 Palestinian militants had been killed during the operation. According to the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Health, 70 people have been killed in Israeli military operations in the region since the beginning of the year.
UNRWA spokesperson Juliette Touma, speaking from the Jordanian capital Amman, described the situation in the Jenin refugee camp as a "catastrophe" and highlighted the "impossible conditions" faced by its residents. She stated that a significant portion of the camp has been completely destroyed by controlled explosions, with an estimated 100 buildings either fully or extensively damaged.
Touma emphasized that the explosions on Sunday occurred during school hours, impacting 5,000 children as 13 schools in and around the camp remain closed. UNRWA services in the region have been disrupted for months, with the agency forced to completely halt its operations since December.
UNRWA reported that there was no communication between Israeli authorities and its staff prior to the destruction of the Jenin refugee camp. Israel, which accused UNRWA of harboring Hamas militants during the Gaza war, severed all ties with the agency last Thursday through a new law. This law prohibits UNRWA from operating in Israeli territories and engaging with Israeli officials.
Touma expressed concern that the decision will negatively impact UNRWA services in the Gaza Strip, which are considered vital following the 15-month war. She emphasized that UNRWA is the "backbone of humanitarian aid" for over two million people residing in the heavily damaged Gaza Strip.
UNRWA also reported that approximately 4,200 trucks carrying aid supplies have entered the Gaza Strip since the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. Touma highlighted the need for these supplies, particularly for the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who returned to northern Gaza after the cessation of hostilities.
Touma stated that a significant portion of the aid has been distributed to those in need by UNRWA personnel. She expressed hope for the continuation of aid deliveries. Before the Gaza war, which began in October 2023, between 500 and 600 aid trucks entered the region daily.
UNRWA, which employs approximately 13,000 staff members in the Gaza Strip, mostly Palestinians, lost 270 personnel during the war. Numerous UNRWA facilities in the region have been either heavily damaged or completely destroyed.