TULKAREM, March 2, 2025 (WAFA) – As part of an escalating Israeli military campaign that has been ongoing for 22 consecutive days, Israeli occupation bulldozers continue on Sunday demolishing homes in Nur Shams refugee camp, east of Tulkarem.
The demolitions are being carried out in accordance with an Israeli order to demolish 11 homes, under the pretext of constructing a road from the camp’s main square toward the Al-Manshiyya neighborhood. The affected homes belong to several Palestinian families in the camp.
The demolition campaign began on Saturday, targeting several residential buildings around Abu Bakr al-Siddiq mosque in the camp’s main square.
Nihad Al-Shawish, head of the Popular Committee for Services in Nur Shams camp, told WAFA that the Israeli occupation is intensifying its siege on the camp, which has been subjected to unprecedented aggression and large-scale forced displacement. He noted that Israeli forces have been using live ammunition to terrorize residents into leaving their homes while systematically destroying homes, streets and public and private infrastructure.
According to Al-Shawish, the Israeli bulldozers have continued for the second day to carry out the plan to demolish 11 residential buildings that house dozens of families. Due to the close proximity of the buildings, the destruction has expanded beyond the targeted homes, causing widespread damage. The exact number of houses fully or partially demolished has yet to be determined due to the ongoing onslaught and siege.
He added that the occupation forces have not only carried out widespread demolitions but have also deliberately set fire to homes and establishments, further deepening the devastation. The destruction has completely devastated infrastructure, including electricity, water, sewage and communication networks, leaving the camp in a catastrophic state.
The ongoing Israeli onslaught has also triggered mass displacement. Since the beginning of the aggression, approximately 9,000 residents—out of the camp’s total population of 13,500—have been forcibly displaced under military threats and at gunpoint.
Entire neighborhoods and the camp’s central area have been emptied, with families seeking refuge in shelters or with relatives in surrounding villages and towns.
Al-Shawish noted that the remaining residents are enduring dire conditions due to severe shortages of essential supplies, including food, water, medicine and infant formula. The ongoing siege has completely restricted movement in and out of the camp, with Israeli forces opening fire indiscriminately at any moving object.
T.R.
