Philip Lazarini, the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees, condemned Israel’s military operations in the West Bank, which have been heavily intensified since the suspension of Gaza in January.
Sixty days after Israel was called the “Iron Wall” mission, Lazarini denounced it in a post in X, the largest Israeli military operation on the territory since the second Intifada in the early 2000s.
Lazarini wrote that tens of thousands of residents of Jenin, Talcarem, Nur Shams and the distant refugee camps “in a statement from the Israeli military, intended to remain in a known future, there is an uncertain outlook for a return,” he wrote.
Israeli operations have caused systemic destruction of civilian infrastructure and homes, and “mandated on a scale not mandated by military or law enforcement purposes, with the aim of permanently changing the nature of Palestinian cities and refugee camps,” he added.
“This massive militarized operation cannot become a new norm for the West Bank,” he writes. “This trend of escalating violence that began by October 7, 2023 must be reversed. Several red lines already cross, violating the principles of international law that constantly emphasize the protection of private property, including civilians, civil infrastructure and homes.”