The mass displacement carried out by Zionist forces in the occupied West Bank is the largest since 1967, according to experts cited by the New York Times (NYT) on 17 February.
“What makes this moment unprecedented is not only the scale of the displacement but also the accompanying discourse, which increasingly normalizes the idea of permanent forced displacement,” said Maha Nassar, a Palestinian historian at the University of Arizona.
“This represents a significant escalation in the longstanding conflict, one that threatens to fundamentally alter the political and demographic landscape of the region,” she went on to say.
At least 55 Palestinians have been killed since the occupation army began its operations in the occupied West Bank last month – which were kicked off by a massive assault on Jenin and its refugee camp that remains ongoing.
The operation quickly expanded to include other cities and towns, including Tulkarem, Tubas, and Nablus.
In Jenin and Tulkarem alone, at least 26,000 Palestinians have been uprooted from their homes. Zionist forces have been destroying houses and wiping out infrastructure. Homes that have not been destroyed are being emptied out, taken over by occupation forces, and transformed into military posts.
“The Zionists have two objectives – first, to push refugees from the northern West Bank toward the central areas, aiming to erase the refugee camps entirely. The second goal is to eliminate resistance and weaken the Palestinian Authority’s ability to govern,” a displaced resident of Tulkarem told NYT.
The occupation army launched a new raid in Nablus on Monday, after a violent raid in its Old City a day earlier – which injured at least 14, including several children.
Video footage showed Zionist forces opening fire on school children in the Old City of Nablus on Sunday.
Reinforcements have continued to arrive in Jenin and Tulkarem. In Jenin, the assault has been ongoing for nearly a month.
The UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) warned last week that the forced expulsion of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank is “escalating at an alarming pace.”
“Jenin Camp stands empty today, evoking memories of the Second Intifada. This scene stands to be repeated in other camps,” UNRWA stated, noting that 40,000 Palestinians have recently been displaced from the occupied West Bank.
“Repeated and destructive operations have rendered the northern refugee camps uninhabitable, trapping residents in cyclical displacement,” the UN agency added.
source: The Cradle