Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees has condemned Israel’s military operation in the occupied West Bank, which has significantly intensified since the Gaza ceasefire in January.

Sixty days into what Israel calls operation “Iron Wall”, Lazzarini decried in a post on X the largest-scale Israeli military operation in the territory since the second Intifada of the early 2000s.

Lazzarini noted that tens of thousands of residents from Jenin, Tulkarem, Nur Shams and Far’a refugee camps have been displaced, “with uncertain prospects for return amid statements from the Israeli Forces on their intentions to stay in the area in the foreseeable future”, he wrote.

Israel’s operations have caused systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure and homes, “aiming to permanently change the character of Palestinian cities and refugee camps at a scale unjustifiable by any purported military or law enforcement aims,” he added.

“Such large-scale, militarized operations cannot become the new norm in the West Bank,” he wrote. “This trend of escalating violence – which started even before 7 October 2023 – must be reversed.  Several red lines have already been crossed, violating principles of international law that always emphasise the protection of civilians, civilian infrastructure, and private property including homes.”