Israeli occupation forces have continued their escalating aggression against Tulkarem city, in the northwestern part of the occupied West Bank, and its refugee camp for the 75th consecutive day, and against Nur Shams refugee camp for the 62nd day, accompanied by military reinforcements, field escalations, and abductions.
Local sources reported that, at dawn on Friday, Israeli forces invaded several homes in the outskirts of the city, conducting searches and deliberately vandalizing their contents.
Four Palestinians were abducted, including former detainees: Odai Fayeq Shaaban, Muthanna Al-Masri, Mu’tasim As’ad Shalbaya from the Thannaba neighborhood, and Ammar Mana’ from the Ezbet Al-Jarad neighborhood.
Israeli forces also invaded a home belonging to the Hijazi family in Thannaba, deliberately vandalizing its contents.
Military vehicles were deployed across the neighborhood’s streets, setting up flying roadblocks, searching civilian vehicles, and inspecting passengers’ IDs.
Simultaneously, Israeli military vehicles patrolled the southern district of the city, particularly along Al-Omari Mosque Street and Omar Bin Abdul Aziz School Street, conducting sweeps and searches.
Late Thursday night, an Israeli military fuel tanker deliberately rammed and damaged streetlights near Martyr Thabet Thabet Square in the city center, causing significant damage and obstructing traffic.
The tanker, accompanied by several military vehicles, drove against traffic and crushed empty stalls scattered along the sidewalks.
In parallel, Israeli forces reinforced their presence in Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps with infantry units, military vehicles, and bulldozers, firing live ammunition and triggering explosions intermittently.
In Nur Shams refugee camp, Israeli forces stormed the Al-Mahjar neighborhood, storming and searching homes, detaining several young men for field interrogations before releasing them later.
The refugee camp remains under a tight siege, marked by home invasions, vandalism, and the forced eviction of residents, preventing them from returning.
Israeli forces continue to seize residential buildings and homes along Nablus Street and the northern district of the city, converting them into military outposts.
Military vehicles are stationed around these areas, while movement restrictions are imposed on civilians, with the street blocked by dirt mounds at both ends.
This escalation is part of Israel’s systematic aggression against Tulkarem city and its tightened siege on the refugee camps.
In related news, Israeli soldiers abducted, at dawn Friday, a Palestinian in Deir Al-Ghusoon town, north of Tulkarem.
The ongoing onslaught has resulted in the killing of 13 Palestinians, including a child and two women—one of whom was eight months pregnant.
Dozens have been injured or abducted, and over 4,000 families have been forcibly displaced from Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps, alongside dozens of families from the northern district of the city after their homes were seized and converted into military outposts.
The offensive has also caused widespread destruction to infrastructure, homes, shops, and vehicles, with 396 homes demolished and 2,573 partially destroyed in Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps. Entrances and alleyways of both camps have been sealed off with dirt mounds.
As of early April, over 9,900 Palestinians remain in Israeli prisons, including 3,498 administrative detainees, 400 children, and 27 women. Among Gaza detainees, 1,747 have been labeled as “illegal combatants” by Israeli authorities, a designation that excludes many others, especially those held in military camps.
Before October 7, 2023, Israeli prisons held more than 5,250 detainees, including 40 women, 170 children, and approximately 1,320 administrative detainees.
