Israeli occupation forces continued, on Friday, their systematic destruction of residential buildings within the Tulkarem refugee camp, situated in Tulkarem city in the northwestern part of the occupied West Bank. This escalation coincides with the ongoing military offensive on both the camp and the city, now marking its 166th consecutive day.
According to media sources, Israeli bulldozers intensified home demolitions in the al-Murabba’a neighborhood during early morning hours, as part of a newly announced plan to raze 104 structures, encompassing approximately 400 housing units.
These demolitions build on earlier violations carried out in recent days across several sections of the refugee camp.
Despite a prior Israeli Supreme Court decision temporarily freezing demolition orders, occupation authorities announced last Sunday their intent to move forward with large-scale demolitions, openly defying the court’s ruling.
Over the past week, Israeli forces granted limited access to families previously unable to evacuate, allowing them to briefly enter the camp and retrieve personal belongings from 54 homes slated for demolition.
The process was tightly controlled by military forces and marred by assaults, arbitrary detentions, obstruction of evacuation efforts, and the use of live ammunition against residents.
Simultaneously, the nearby Nur Shams refugee camp has witnessed heightened military aggression and a sustained siege by Israeli forces for the 153rd consecutive day.
Large contingents of infantry units and military vehicles were seen in the Jabal al-Nasr and al-‘Eyada neighborhoods.
Residents were forcibly expelled, and their homes were commandeered and turned into military outposts. Those approaching the camp are targeted with live fire, while intermittent explosions from inside the camp continue to be heard.
Israeli forces have also set fire to residential buildings in the Nur Shams refugee camp, compounding the destruction.
In recent days, dozens of homes have been demolished as part of a broader plan to raze 106 structures in both Tulkarem and Nur Shams camps.
Of these, 48 buildings were demolished in Nur Shams alone, resulting in widespread devastation and the opening of wide roads that disconnected neighborhoods from one another.
This sustained military offensive has led to the forcible displacement of more than 5,000 families, affecting over 25,000 civilians. In total, over 600 homes have been completely destroyed, while 2,573 homes sustained partial damage. Access to both camps remains restricted, with entrances blocked and neighborhoods rendered lifeless.
In the West Bank, Israeli soldiers and illegal paramilitary colonizers have killed 176 Palestinians so far this year, including 31 children, 6 women, and 3 civilians killed directly by settlers. Of these, 41 Palestinians were killed during military invasions, and 55 were extra-judicially executed.
Since October 7, 2023, Israeli forces and colonizers have killed 1,011 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 204 children, 22 women, and 17 elders. This figure includes 26 fatalities caused by paramilitary colonizers, 290 extra-judicial executions, and 410 deaths resulting from military invasions across Palestinian communities.
In the devastated, starved, and besieged Gaza Strip, the toll is even more staggering. Israeli forces have killed over 55,283 Palestinians, including at least 17,131 children, 10,190 women, 4,147 elders, and 257 journalists.
Additionally, more than 10,000 people remain missing, trapped under rubble, in inaccessible areas, or unreachable due to continuous bombardment and severe military restrictions.
