Key Facts
- Start date
- 21 January 2025
- Palestinians displaced
- More than 40,000
- Initial target
- Jenin Brigades militia in Jenin
- Displacement rate
- Highest since 1967 Palestinian expulsions
- Status per UNRWA
- Longest and most destructive op since Second Intifada
Strategic Narrative Overview
Launched on 21 January 2025, the operation initially focused on Jenin before expanding on the fourth day to Tulkarm and other towns. Israeli forces seized control of the Jenin refugee camp, Nur Shams, and the Tulkarm refugee camp, clearing them of militants and depopulating them by late February. Notably, the Palestinian Authority participated directly in the operation for the first time. Israeli defense officials signaled intent to maintain a long-term military presence in northern West Bank refugee camps beyond the operation's initial phase.
01 / The Origins
Operation Iron Wall emerged from Israel's long-standing effort to suppress militant networks in the occupied West Bank, which had intensified in the context of Iranian support for Palestinian armed groups. Israeli officials framed the operation as a response to imminent threats from local militias, particularly the Jenin Brigades, and as an extension of lessons drawn from Israel's repeated-raid approach in Gaza. Far-right ministers also linked it to protecting Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
03 / The Outcome
As of mid-2025, the operation remains ongoing. Israeli defense minister Israel Katz stated in August 2025 that IDF forces would remain deployed to northern West Bank refugee camps at least through the end of the year. More than 40,000 Palestinians had been displaced, with UNRWA characterizing Iron Wall as the most destructive Israeli West Bank operation since the Second Intifada. No formal ceasefire or negotiated conclusion had been reached.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
2 belligerents
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Katz, Bezalel Smotrich.
Side B
2 belligerents
Kinetic Engagement Axis
Scroll horizontally to view full axis. Events plotted relatively.