The number of displaced Palestinians in the occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem has increased since October 7, 2023, reportedly due to demolitions and confiscations in the region.
According to the reports over 3,000 Palestinians have been displaced in this period more than double the 1,252 displaced in the preceding ten months, marking the highest annual figure since 2009. This alarming trend highlights Israel’s ongoing aggression in War-torn Gaza and other Palestinian territories.
The increase in displacement of Palestinian civilians is attributed to a combination of several human rights violation factors, including demolitions of homes, punitive actions against families of alleged attackers, and violence from Israeli settlers.
According to the reports of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), between 7 October 2023 and 5 August 2024, 1,143 attacks were recorded by Israeli settlers against Palestinians, of which 114 led to Palestinian fatalities and injuries, 964 led to damage to Palestinian property, and 127 led to both casualties and property damage.
The demolitions are often justified by the Israeli authorities under the pretext of lacking building permits, which are notoriously difficult for Palestinians to obtain due to discriminatory planning policies.
Current situation
Since the war broke out between Israel and Hamas, the Israeli authorities have demolished confiscated or forced Palestinian owners to demolish 1,355 Palestinian-owned structures, leading to the displacement of over 3,000 people including 1,343 children.
The surge in demolitions has included more than 500 inhabited structures and has affected over 1,81,000 Palestinians during military operations, particularly in areas like Jein and Tulkarm where the Israeli army has made a full invasion.
More than 1,500 Palestinians are at risk of imminent displacement in the Al Bustan area of Silwan, in East Jerusalem, the Norwegian Refugee Council warns, relief web reported.
On August 6, Israel called on Palestinians in Beit Hanoun to evacuate immediately to conduct military operations.
Colonel Avichay Adraee, the Israel Defense Force’s Arabic-language spokesman, shared a list of zones to be evacuated, instructing residents to take shelter in Gaza city.
The army has assessed that more than 2,00,000 Palestinian civilians are currently in northern Gaza.
The consequences of these forced displacements are profound as families are not only losing their homes but also access to essential services and livelihoods.
The reports suggest that many displaced civilians are forced to relocate to areas they perceive as safer, often resulting in congestion and increased vulnerability.
In July, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that Israel’s continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territory is unlawful and should come to an end “as rapidly as possible”, adding that it must end settlement construction immediately and existing settlements must be removed.
The judges pointed to a wide list of policies – including the building and expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the use of the area’s natural resources, the annexation and imposition of permanent control over lands, and discriminatory policies against Palestinians, calling of it as violated international law.
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