The Israeli military operation “Iron Wall” in the northern West Bank has now been underway for five weeks. It has already forced 40,000 people to leave their homes in the Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas refugee camps, 50 people have been killed and many wounded, including civilians.

We call on the Israeli Government to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure more effectively during the military operation and to ensure that the 40,000 people can return to their homes as soon as possible.

Under the Oslo Accords, Jenin is in Area A, and the Palestinian Authority (PA) thus has exclusive responsibility for security there. The Israeli Government’s plans to maintain a long-term military presence in Jenin are therefore unacceptable. Terrorism must be fought, and in Area A that task falls to the PA.

If Israeli security forces remain in Palestinian-administered Palestinian territory, this will undermine the PA’s efforts to act as the legitimate representative of Palestinian interests. Israel’s actions are consolidating the occupation, which, according to the ICJ Advisory Opinion of 19 July 2024 must be brought to an end, and are destabilising what is in any case already an extremely fragile security environment.