During the night Israeli forces entered Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank and began ordering its 20,000 Palestinian residents to leave their homes, 66-year-old Jumaa Zawayda declared he would not comply.
„My family all evacuated, but I insisted on staying. If Israeli forces come to search our house, I want to be there to prevent any damage,“ he explained.
For the next three days, Jumaa endured fear, with continuous gunshots, explosions, and drones flying overhead. The chaos made it difficult to understand the orders being given. Eventually, water and electricity were cut off, his phone battery died, and Jumaa felt he could no longer stay.
Now, three months later, Jumaa stands on a hill in Jenin city, gazing at the abandoned refugee camp where he and other residents are still barred from returning by the Israeli military.
He peers out, trying to determine if his home was among those destroyed by Israeli forces during their operations against Palestinian armed groups in the camp. The sound of ongoing explosions echoes below.
„Some people have suggested our building was demolished, but we are uncertain,“ says Jumaa, struggling to express his emotions.
As a father of nine who used to work in construction, Jumaa sought refuge in a school turned shelter for displaced residents of the camp. He has since relocated to student accommodation that he shares with his brother.
Before the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza in October 2023, Israel was already involved in a military campaign against armed groups in the West Bank.
Various groups emerged in densely-populated urban refugee camps established for Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes following the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.
The main groups in Jenin camp are linked to Palestinian Islamic Jihad and Hamas. Their fighters primarily targeted Israeli military forces, with occasional attacks on Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
The exact number of fighters is unknown, but local journalists estimate there were approximately 150 fighters in Jenin camp before recent operations by both Israel and the Palestinian Authority.
In December 2024, the Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, initiated its own crackdown in Jenin camp. Their forces withdrew only when the Israeli military launched a major operation there in January.
Israel’s defense minister labeled the camps „nests of terror“ and heightened its campaign against the armed groups inside them in January. Israeli forces entered and blockaded several refugee camps in the northern West Bank, displacing tens of thousands of Palestinians.
Residents were ordered to evacuate, and a wave of building demolitions ensued, with brief opportunities given to gather belongings.
Jumaa managed to retrieve his family dog and refugee card from his home before the demolition. However, with restricted access to the camps and no public announcements on which buildings were destroyed, many Palestinians are uncertain if they have a home to return to.
The UN’s Palestinian refugee agency Unrwa estimates that Israel demolished at least 260 buildings, comprising around 800 apartments, during „Operation Iron Wall“ in three northern West Bank refugee camps since January.
In February, the Israeli military reported killing 60 fighters and detaining 280 others. Palestinian health officials say 100 people have died in the West Bank since the beginning of Israel’s January operation.
Defense Minister Israel Katz stated the army was destroying weapons and infrastructure extensively and instructed the military to remain in the refugee camps for a year, preventing residents from returning.
The Israeli military accused the militias of using civilians as human shields and endangering them by planting explosives and hiding weapons.
On May 1st, Israel provided Palestinian officials in the West Bank with a map of 106 buildings slated for demolition in Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps within 24 hours for „military purposes.“ Residents could apply for a brief window to retrieve essential belongings.
Aid agencies report that Israel’s campaign has caused the largest forced displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank in decades.
„This is unprecedented,“ says Roland Friedrich, Unrwa’s West Bank director. „In terms of displaced people and destruction, we have not seen anything like it since 1967 when Israel began its military occupation of the West Bank.“
While filming an interview with the mayor of Jenin, the BBC witnessed Israeli forces detaining several Palestinians, including municipality workers attempting to clear a route to a nearby hospital. They were held for three hours before being released.
„There are significant challenges in providing services to citizens amidst the destruction.“ „Wie jeder weiß, wurde die Infrastruktur im Flüchtlingslager Jenin völlig zerstört“, sagt Bürgermeister Mohammad Jarrar.
„Israels Ziel ist es, das Flüchtlingslager Jenin völlig unbewohnbar zu machen, und ich sage euch, es ist jetzt komplett unwohnbar geworden.“
Die Blockade Israels von Flüchtlingslagern im Westjordanland hat es fast unmöglich gemacht, Informationen über das Geschehen innerhalb zu erhalten, sagt Unrwas Roland Friedrich, einschließlich des genauen Ausmaßes der Zerstörungen.
Jumaa gehört zu den vertriebenen Palästinensern, denen von israelischen Streitkräften ein kurzer Besuch zu Hause gewährt wurde, um persönliche Gegenstände abzuholen. Er konnte gerade noch seinen UN-Ausweis und den Familienhund schnappen. Dann, zwei Monate später, im März, veröffentlichte Israel eine Karte mit über 90 Gebäuden, die in Jenin zur Zerstörung vorgesehen waren. Jumaas Wohnsitz schien darunter zu sein.
Der israelische Militär sagte der BBC, dass es notwendig war, diese Gebäude zu demolieren, um die „Bewegungsfreiheit“ für seine Streitkräfte zu verbessern, bestätigte jedoch nicht, ob Jumaas Haus tatsächlich zerstört wurde.
Die BBC hat Israels Karte der März-Demolierungen mit Satellitenaufnahmen von Jenin verglichen, die eine Woche später aufgenommen wurden. Wir konnten bestätigen, dass bis zum 27. März mindestens 33 Gebäude auf der Liste, einschließlich Jumaas, zerstört wurden. Satellitenaufnahmen zeigen, dass seit Januar viele weitere Demolierungen stattgefunden haben, darunter der Bau neuer Straßen durch israelische Streitkräfte, wo zuvor Gebäude standen.
„Warum haben sie mein Haus zerstört? Ich möchte es wissen. Ich möchte, dass die israelische Armee mir eine Begründung gibt. Ich hatte keine Verbindungen zu Militanten. Ich bin ein friedlicher Mensch“, sagt Jumaa.
„Ich habe 50 Jahre lang von Job zu Job gearbeitet, um mein Zuhause zu bauen.“
Obwohl Jumaa erfährt hat, dass sein Haus zerstört wurde, bleibt er darauf bestehen, dass er nach Hause zurückkehren wird.
„Ich werde das Lager nicht verlassen. Wenn sie mich mein Haus nicht wiederaufbauen lassen, werde ich an seiner Stelle ein Zelt aufstellen“, sagt er.
„Ist es nicht genug, dass meine Familie 1948 vertrieben wurde, jetzt müssen wir erneut Verdrängung erleiden?“
Zusätzliche Berichterstattung von Lina Shaikhouni und Daniele Palumbo.