On Tuesday, Israeli occupation bulldozers resumed demolishing residential buildings in the Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps, in Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank’s northwestern part, as the military offensive on the area entered its 156th consecutive day in Tulkarem and its camp, and the 143rd day in Nur Shams.
Media sources said heavy machinery continued to level structures across both refugee camps under tight military siege and extensive deployment.
This followed earlier rounds of demolition targeting homes and community buildings in various neighborhoods, including Al-Balawna, Okasha, an-Nadi, as-Sawalma, Al-Hamam, and schools in Tulkarem refugee camp, as well as Al-Manshiyya, Al-Maslakh, Al-Eyada and the mosque in Nur Shams.
The escalating operations appear to be in line with a plan announced by the Israeli authorities in May, which outlines the demolition of 106 buildings across the two refugee camps, 58 in Tulkarem alone, housing more than 250 residential units and dozens of commercial establishments.
Forty-eight additional structures are set for demolition in Nour Shams, under the pretext of “road expansion” and “geographic restructuring.”
In related news, the soldiers shot a young Palestinian man in the town of Nazlet Issa, north of Tulkarem, while he was walking on Palestinian land near the illegal Annexation Wall.
Palestinian medics rushed him to a hospital, where he was treated for moderate wounds.
On Monday, occupation forces delivered notices ordering the demolition of 104 homes and buildings in Tulkarem refugee camp, citing military needs. Residents were given 72 hours, beginning Wednesday, to evacuate their belongings.
Meanwhile, the occupation has maintained a severe military blockade on both refugee camps and their surrounding areas.
Armed foot patrols and military vehicles have taken over alleyways and entry points, preventing residents from reaching their homes or retrieving personal items. Live fire has reportedly been used against anyone approaching the perimeter.
Heavily armed soldiers roamed central Tulkarem, Tuesday, particularly Nablus Street and the main market, stopping pedestrians and vehicles, firing live ammunition and sound grenades.
Military vehicles patrolled neighborhoods aggressively, honking loudly and driving against traffic in what eyewitnesses described as provocative and hazardous behavior.
Occupation forces continue to turn Nablus Street into a military zone, having taken control of several residential buildings and parts of the northern and eastern neighborhoods facing the refugee camp. Many residents have been forcibly displaced, with some areas under occupation for over four months. Armored vehicles and bulldozers remain stationed nearby.
The area, a crucial link between the two refugee camps, has been heavily damaged by dirt mounds erected months ago. Military roadblocks, both fixed and temporary, have brought civilian traffic to a near standstill, exacerbating residents’ daily suffering.
This comes in parallel with increasingly restrictive measures at the city’s entrances, particularly the permanently closed ‘Anabta checkpoint to the east.
Occupation Forces also intermittently set up checkpoints near the Jabara Bridge to the south, choking off movement and deepening the humanitarian toll.
Since the onset of the aggression, 13 Palestinians have been killed, including a child and two women, one of whom was eight months pregnant. Scores have been wounded or abducted. Infrastructure, homes, businesses, and vehicles have suffered widespread destruction.
The escalation has forcibly displaced more than 5,000 families, over 25,000 residents. More than 500 homes have been destroyed, and another 2,573 have sustained partial damage. The main roads into the camps remain sealed off, rendering the once-vibrant neighborhoods nearly devoid of life.
At dawn Tuesday, in the center of Ramallah city, in the central part of the occupied West Bank. Israeli soldiers killed a 15-year-old child, Amjad Nassar Awad Hawshiya, while he was present at the Al-Manara roundabout, in the city center of Ramallah city.
He is the second citizen to be killed by occupation forces in a matter of hours, as the soldiers also fatally shot , Samer Bassam Al-Zagharna, 24, with live ammunition.
ince the beginning of the year, Israeli forces and colonizers have killed 167 Palestinian citizens in the occupied West Bank, including 30 children and 6 women.
Occupation forces have killed 59 Palestinians in Jenin, 28 in Nablus, 26 in Tubas, 16 in Tulkarem, 10 in Hebron, 9 in Ramallah, 6 in Bethlehem, 5 in Jerusalem, 4 in Qalqilia, 3 in Salfit, and 1 in Jericho.
In the Gaza Strip, the overall death toll since October 7, 2023 has increased to 56,531, including women and children, while at least 133,642 Palestinians have sustained various degrees of injuries as a result of Israel’s military onslaught.
