Over 12,000 Palestinian children ‘remain forcibly displaced’ in West Bank: UN agency

More than 12,000 Palestinian children are living in a state of "forced displacement" in the West Bank as a result of Israel's ongoing military operation in the north of the occupied territory, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said Sunday.

Since Jan. 21, 2025, the Israeli army has been carrying out a military campaign in the northern West Bank, which began in the Jenin refugee camp and later expanded to the Nur Shams and Tulkarem camps.

Israeli forces have imposed a siege on the three camps, accompanied by widespread destruction of infrastructure, homes and shops, leading to the displacement of around 50,000 Palestinians, according to official figures.

"More than 12,000 children remain forcibly displaced in the occupied West Bank," the UNRWA said in a statement on the US social media company X.

In response to the operation, UNRWA said it "launched an emergency education program for displaced children in February 2025."

The refugee agency said it has provided education "through temporary learning spaces, online teaching, the distribution of self-learning materials, and psycho-social support" for affected students.

UNRWA noted that 48,000 children attend its schools across the occupied West Bank.

Israeli forces and illegal settlers have killed at least 1,105 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, injured nearly 11,000, and detained around 21,000 since October 2023, according to Palestinian figures.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.