In its latest act of brutal, violent dispossession of Palestinian land in the West Bank (after 16 months of annihilating and decimating 90% of the housing and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip), Israel on Saturday ordered the forced removal of the remaining residents of Murabba’a Hanoun neighborhood in Tulkarm refugee camp to evacuate their homes, amid threats to arrest anyone found in the area.
Eyewitnesses told WAFA news agency that Israeli forces raided homes in the Hanoun neighborhood and forced residents to leave under threat. They were given only five minutes to leave, and a soldier told them that bulldozers and tanks would be brought into the area.
In a related development, infantry units deployed extensively throughout the camp’s alleys and surrounding areas, pursuing residents as they attempted to leave their homes and collect their essential supplies.
Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) crews assisted the displaced as they evacuated the camp, particularly the sick and elderly, amidst the difficult humanitarian conditions created by the ongoing aggression on the city and its two camps.
The occupation forces also raided a number of homes in various neighborhoods of the camp, including Qaqun and Abu al-Foul, breaking down their doors and causing extensive damage. They continued to fire sound bombs to terrorize residents. The occupation forces also seized more homes inside the camp, turning them into military barracks and sniper positions.
Tulkarm camp has been witnessing an ongoing assault for 48 days, resulting in widespread displacement. Some 12,000 residents, including women, children, the elderly, and the sick, were forced to leave the camp and seek refuge in shelters or relatives’ homes in the city, its suburbs, and its countryside.
