Displaced Palestinians in West Bank Face Mounting Debt and Poverty

Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been displaced since early 2025, when Israeli forces emptied the Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams refugee camps in the northern West Bank. This has plunged families, many of whom have been refugees for generations, into a cycle of deepening debt and poverty. According to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), this constitutes the largest single episode of forced displacement in the West Bank since Israel's occupation began in 1967.

Highlights

• Israeli forces displaced over 33,000 Palestinians by emptying the Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams refugee camps in early 2025.
• UNRWA identifies this as the largest forced displacement event in the West Bank since 1967.
• Satellite imagery reveals that 20 percent of buildings in the three camps were destroyed, with another 28 percent damaged.
• 85 percent of those displaced have lost their regular income, and over 80 percent face unfamiliar rental expenses.
• UNRWA is struggling to meet vast humanitarian needs due to funding shortages, leaving thousands without support.

Details

Many Palestinian families, like Hakim Mar'i's, are now living in makeshift shelters in Tulkarem. Mar'i states he sustained a debilitating leg injury while working in Israel in 2019 and was severely beaten by Israeli soldiers during his family's forced removal from the camp. Battling diabetes and untreated conditions, Mar'i is unable to work, and his family's debts are accumulating. They have been forced to move four times in the last 20 months, struggling with rent and food debts.

Roland Friedrich, UNRWA's Director of West Bank affairs, highlighted that most displaced individuals have lost their regular income, and families unaccustomed to paying for housing in the camps now face new financial burdens. Friedrich noted that orders for the closed military zone covering the camps are renewed every two months, with no indication of when, or if, residents will be allowed to return. UNRWA emphasizes that the situation constitutes "forced displacement" and people must be allowed to return.

Why it matters

This situation raises concerns that the military operations aim to alter the geographical expression of the Palestinian refugee issue. As UNRWA struggles with funding shortages to maintain basic services, the economic strain on families is exacerbating social problems. Rising gender-based violence and increased depression among children underscore the long-term, devastating impacts of this crisis. The lack of a clear plan for rebuilding the camps creates uncertainty for the future of displaced Palestinians, necessitating urgent international intervention.