The ongoing Israeli assault on Jenin and its refugee camp has now entered its second month, leaving behind a humanitarian catastrophe marked by serious and systematic violations of international law. The operation has resulted in widespread destruction, forced displacement, and the unlawful targeting of civilians, raising urgent concerns over war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israeli forces.
Since the beginning of the offensive, Israeli forces have carried out extrajudicial killings, large-scale demolitions, and mass displacement, in clear contravention of international humanitarian and human rights law. Reports indicate that 26 Palestinians, including children, have been killed, while dozens more have been injured, many critically. Thousands of civilians have been forcibly displaced, as Israeli airstrikes, military bulldozers, and ground assaults have razed homes, businesses, and key infrastructure, rendering large parts of the city uninhabitable.
Israeli forces have employed indiscriminate and excessive force, subjecting the civilian population to collective punishment, a practice explicitly prohibited under international law. The Fourth Geneva Convention protects civilians in occupied territories and forbids the destruction of private property unless justified by absolute military necessity—a claim that Israeli authorities have repeatedly invoked to justify systematic human rights abuses.
Throughout the assault, Israeli forces have bulldozed entire residential areas, destroying homes and public facilities in what appears to be an intentional effort to make civilian life in Jenin unsustainable. Military reinforcements have continued to arrive, bringing with them fuel tankers, water containers, and the establishment of military field posts, suggesting a long-term military occupation strategy aimed at turning Jenin into a permanent militarised zone.
The offensive has forcibly displaced at least 3,000 Palestinian families, many of whom have lost their homes to targeted demolitions or deliberate arson. Forced displacement is a serious violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits the forced transfer of protected populations under any circumstances. Additionally, occupation forces have blocked access to the refugee camp, sealing it off with earth barriers and roadblocks that restrict the movement of civilians and prevent life-saving humanitarian aid from reaching those in urgent need.
Beyond the physical destruction and mass displacement, Israeli forces have conducted arbitrary arrests, targeting children and young men, in what appears to be an effort to criminalise Palestinian existence and suppress any form of resistance. Reports confirm that on Tuesday, Israeli soldiers arrested two children near Yahya Ayyash Square, in addition to detaining two young men earlier that day in Jenin. Meanwhile, in the village of Taybeh, west of Jenin, Israeli forces forcibly expelled residents from their homes and converted at least three houses into military outposts, a clear violation of international legal protections against the confiscation of civilian property in occupied territories.
The Israeli military’s use of psychological warfare has also escalated. On Tuesday, drones equipped with loudspeakers flew over the Jabarat neighbourhood, broadcasting threats ordering residents to evacuate their homes or face live fire. Meanwhile, occupation forces have fired live ammunition and tear gas at civilians, including children, leading to multiple injuries. Among the victims was a child in Meithalun, south of Jenin, who suffered a direct injury from a tear gas canister fired by Israeli soldiers.
These grave violations demand urgent international intervention to halt the Israeli assault on Jenin and ensure accountability for Israeli officials responsible for these human rights abuses. The deliberate targeting of civilians, the use of excessive force, forced displacement, and the destruction of essential infrastructure all constitute clear violations of international law and require immediate legal and diplomatic action to protect the Palestinian population from further harm.
As the assault on Jenin enters its second month, pressing questions remain: How long will the international community remain silent in the face of these violations? What legal consequences will Israel face for its ongoing war crimes? Will global institutions take meaningful action, or will the occupation continue its systematic human rights abuses with impunity?
