The Israeli Minister of Defense, Israel Katz, has instructed the Army to take control of a fourth Palestinian refugee camp in the West Bank, as part of the reinforcement of military operations in the area following recent clashes in the town of Tell, in which two Israelis and four Palestinians were killed.
The order, whose declared objective is "to expand offensive operations against Palestinian terrorism," does not yet specify which of the three refugee camps located near Nablus will be intervened: Balata, Askar, or Ein al Sultan.
In the last two years, Israeli forces have already taken control of the refugee camps of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur al Shams, which has led to the displacement of most of their inhabitants, according to the Israeli newspaper 'Haaretz'.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has warned this Tuesday that this new instruction from the Israeli authorities "could have a devastating humanitarian impact" on thousands of Palestinians residing in the area.
"Since last year, Israeli operations in the camps of Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur al Shams have displaced more than 30,000 people, including children, and have destroyed homes, livelihoods, and essential services. These operations have also exacerbated humanitarian needs," lamented the agency.
OCHA also emphasized that the announcement comes "amid an escalation of violence in the West Bank, which includes attacks by settlers, operations by Israeli forces, clashes with Palestinians, the use of lethal force, and new displacements of Palestinian families."
"Israeli forces have imposed a closure on the city of Nablus and its surroundings, as well as on the village of Tell, where some of the recent deaths occurred. In this latter place, there is also concern about the establishment of a settlement closer to where Palestinians live," it noted, adding that settler attacks have spread throughout the West Bank, especially in the governorates of Nablus, Qalqilia, and Jenin.