TULKARM, May 14, 2025 (WAFA) – Israeli occupation forces on Wednesday continued their massive spree of home demolitions in the Nur Shams refugee camp, east of the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarm, according to local sources.
They said that the occupation forces proceeded with the demolition of Palestinians’ houses and residential buildings in the refugee camp as the military aggression on the camp entered the 95th consecutive day.
Israeli bulldozers tore down residential buildings in the vicinity of the Abu Bakr As-Siddiq mosque, at a time when infantry soldiers deployed on a large scale and opened live ammunition at Palestinian civilians and even at media personnel.
The gun-toting soldiers obstructed residents from entering the refugee camp to retrieve their belongings before the demolition of their houses.
Local estimates indicate that Israeli army bulldozers tore down 20 structures in the previous week, and the occupation troops blew up other residential structures whose owners were displaced.
On 1 May, the occupying forces issued military orders to demolish 106 Palestinian-owned structures in Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps, allowing residents 24 hours to evacuate and prompting UNRWA Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini, to warn: “These demolition orders, if enacted, would further entrench the displacement of thousands of Palestine Refugees in the northern West Bank... They serve punitive and coercive objectives, targeting entire communities.”
Israel initiated intensified military aggression on the northern West Bank refugee camps of Jenin, Tulkarm, Nur Shams and al-Fara' on January 21, 2025, displacing over 40,000 Palestinians, who are now sheltering in public buildings, relatives' houses, or rented accommodations.
Israel previously launched a mass demolition of Palestinian structures in Tulkarm during the first week of March 2025, tearing down dozens of structures across both camps, after the demolitions were announced on 18 February.
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