Tulkarem Governor Abdullah Kamil said Israel’s move to demolish twenty‑five residential buildings inside the Nur Shams refugee camp, in the occupied West Bank’s northwestern region, is part of the ongoing assault and violations against residents of both Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps.
He said in a press statement that this dangerous escalation targets the Palestinian presence in the refugee camps—historic witnesses to the Nakba—and constitutes collective punishment against civilians and a violation of international law, humanitarian conventions, and human rights norms.
|Occupation Forces Begin Demolishing 25 Buildings in Nur Shams Camp|
Kamil added that the demolitions are part of a systematic policy that has already produced the forced displacement of residents from both refugee camps, turning them into zones of destruction amid continuous targeting of homes and infrastructure and a deepening humanitarian crisis for civilians.
He renewed his call on the international community and human rights organizations to intervene urgently to stop the assault on residents of Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps and on Palestinians everywhere, stressing that these actions intensify the suffering caused by forced displacement and the loss of homes.
The legal center Adalah said Tuesday that Israel’s Supreme Court had approved the demolition of civilian homes in the Nur Shams refugee camp after rejecting, on December 24, a petition filed by twenty‑two Palestinians and the center challenging the Israeli military’s demolition orders targeting around twenty‑five residential buildings.
The court adopted the army’s claim of “justified military necessity,” despite state prosecutors acknowledging during the hearing that the targeted structures are civilian homes not used for any military purpose and belonging to families with no connection to armed resistance.
The ruling justified the demolitions on the grounds of facilitating future military movement inside the refugee camp, rather than responding to any current or urgent necessity.
This measure comes as part of a broader policy of pressure on camp residents, who have faced forced evacuation orders for 326 days amid shock and grief over the continued threat of losing their homes and property.
Video shows Israel demolishing a residential house in Nur Shams camp, after previously announcing it would demolish 25 residential buildings affecting 100 Palestinian families in Tulkarem, in the occupied West Bank. pic.twitter.com/kbflD1XGZT
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) December 31, 2025
The refugee camp has been under tight military siege, including extensive demolitions last summer that destroyed dozens of residential buildings.
According to a previous report by the Popular Committee for Services in the Nur Shams refugee camp, more than 11,500 residents have been displaced from the camp and nearby neighborhoods such as Jabal al‑Nasr and al‑Salihin.
More than 750 housing units were demolished or bulldozed as Israeli forces carved wide military roads through the camp, dividing it into small residential blocks.
Israeli forces demolish houses in the Nur Shams refugee camp in the occupied West Bank as part of its illegal demolition campaign that began earlier this year, forcefully displacing tens of thousands of Palestinians and leaving the camp — once home to around 13,000 people —… pic.twitter.com/u755gjCOOM
— TRT World (@trtworld) December 31, 2025
More than 1,600 additional units sustained varying levels of damage, and over 80 homes and commercial properties were destroyed.
Israeli forces also caused total or partial damage to around 230 private and commercial vehicles and 260 commercial establishments, in addition to destroying public institutions, mosques, kindergartens, a rehabilitation center for people with disabilities, a youth center, and the UNRWA office.
Infrastructure losses include more than 100,000 square meters of roads, 20,000 meters of water networks, 15,000 meters of sewage lines, and 50,000 meters of high‑ and low‑voltage electricity networks.
