Mass Displacement and Annexation Threats: The West Bank Faces a Gaza-Like Scenario

8th May 2025

3 minutes read

Mass Displacement and Annexation Threats: The West Bank Faces a Gaza-Like Scenario

While global attention is focused on Gaza, a large-scale Israeli operation is quietly unfolding in the West Bank, bringing about deep changes in Palestinian cities and refugee camps.

Security campaigns have led to the displacement of tens of thousands of Palestinians and the destruction of entire neighborhoods, evoking scenes reminiscent of Gaza. According to The New York Times, this may be paving the way for an official Israeli annexation of parts of the occupied territories, amid a rise in right-wing political discourse supporting settlement expansion.

The military campaign has turned parts of Jenin and Tulkarem into war zones, with destroyed homes and roads torn up by military bulldozers. Entire neighborhoods have been emptied of their residents since January, with nearly 40,000 Palestinians fleeing their homes — the largest displacement since the West Bank was occupied in 1967.

In Jenin, a once densely populated neighborhood of over 10,000 residents has become a ghost town, surrounded by rubble and blocked roads covered in layers of earth.

Prolonged Military Presence

Unlike previous swift operations, the Israeli army has maintained its longest presence in decades inside Palestinian cities, supported by helicopters and armored vehicles. Officially, the campaign targets Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives, but the prolonged military presence undermines the authority of President Mahmoud Abbas, who is supposed to govern these areas as part of a future Palestinian state.

“Israel is acting as if the Palestinian Authority does not exist. We are at a turning point in the conflict,” said Mohammad Jarar, mayor of Jenin.

Forced Displacement and Fears of a “New Nakba”

Israel has issued demolition orders for hundreds of homes under the pretext of “facilitating military operations,” which the army denies officially, though residents report otherwise.

These fears are echoed by hardline Israeli ministers like Itamar Ben Gvir, who support the annexation of the West Bank, home to about three million Palestinians and 500,000 settlers.

According to local officials, Israel aims to alter the identity of refugee camps established in 1948. In January, Palestinian leaders received reports about plans to convert Jenin camp into a “normal residential neighborhood,” removing UNRWA from service management.

Palestinians reject the proposal, viewing the camps as symbols of refugee identity and the right of return. “Israel wants to erase our history. They’re sending a clear signal of annexation,” said Ammar Abu Bakr, president of the Jenin Chamber of Commerce.

The Return Dilemma

Hundreds of displaced families now live in temporary shelters, such as student housing in Jenin. “The hardest part is not knowing the fate of our homes. We’re living in uncertainty… we’ve lost control over everything,” said Mohamed Abu Wasfa, 45, who is assisting the displaced.

Aerial footage documents the destruction, showing widened roads to accommodate armored vehicles and demolished buildings that the army claims housed armed hideouts.

These campaigns are redrawing the map of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, turning the West Bank — once seen as the core of a future Palestinian state — into an open conflict zone.

While Israel insists it is fighting “terrorism,” Palestinians view it as an existential war to entrench permanent control. With violence escalating and no political solution in sight, the situation looks darker than ever.