Clearance of Palestinian Refugee Camps in the West Bank
Israeli troops have demolished houses and cleared a wide roadway through the Nur Shams refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, forcing tens of thousands of Palestinians from their homes. The operation, which has emptied some of the biggest refugee camps in the northern West Bank, appears to be a trial run for wider clearances later. The Israeli military's actions have drawn widespread international criticism and come amid heightened fears among Palestinians of an organized effort by Israel to formally annex the West Bank.
- This operation signifies a disturbing trend of Israel's incremental displacement of Palestinian populations from their ancestral lands, eroding the prospects for meaningful negotiations on a two-state solution.
- What will be the long-term impact on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and the occupied West Bank if Israel pursues its intention to formally annex the West Bank?