TULKARM, May 27, 2025 (WAFA) – The Israeli occupation forces continue their aggression against the city of Tulkarm and its camp for the 121st consecutive day, and for the 108th day against the Nur Shams camp, amidst escalating violence, ongoing provocations, and raids on money exchange offices.
WAFA correspondent reported that this morning, the occupation forces suddenly closed Nablus Street (known as Bank Street) in the center of Tulkarm, preventing the movement of vehicles and citizens at gunpoint. They also seized the keys to a number of vehicles and placed a roadblock in the middle of the street after detaining their drivers.
She added that the area witnessed the deployment of large military reinforcements and the deployment of infantry units. The entire street was closed, along with all secondary entrances leading to it, including those leading to the Martyr Thabet Thabet Governmental Hospital and the Martyr Thabet Thabet Roundabout, leading to a complete paralysis of traffic and commercial activity in the area.
Occupation forces were also deployed on Church Street and around Gamal Abdel Nasser Square in the city center, amid a state of alert in the area, preventing citizens and vehicles from passing at gunpoint.
During this campaign, occupation forces raided the Gulf and Fakhr al-Din Exchange shops in the aforementioned areas, conducting extensive searches and vandalism operations inside.
They also raided the Fatah Regional Movement office in the city center, breaking down its doors, vandalizing some of its contents, and tampering with papers and files.
In a related development, occupation forces raided several citizens' homes in the city, specifically in the southern neighborhood, at dawn today. They searched them, vandalized their contents, and subjected their residents to interrogation.
The owners of these homes were identified as Ismail Muhammad Balhawi and the two freed prisoners, Shadhay Salman Odeh and Ali Salman Odeh. Odeh's homes have been raided several times, and their owners detained, in an attempt to pressure the family to hand over their son.
The city witnesses intensive 24-hour activity by occupation forces' vehicles and infantry squads, patrolling the main streets and neighborhoods, obstructing the movement of citizens and vehicles, provocatively honking their horns and driving against traffic. These forces also set up sudden checkpoints, particularly in the central market, Nablus Street, Shuweika Roundabout in the northern neighborhood, and the street adjacent to the Martyr Thabet Thabet Government Hospital.
At the same time, the occupation forces continue to impose a stifling siege on the Tulkarm and Nur Shams refugee camps, accompanied by occasional gunfire and explosions. The occupation forces' heavy deployment of vehicles and infantry squads in their surroundings and neighborhoods continues, pursuing all residents who attempt to reach their homes to inspect them, confiscate their belongings, and detain them, as happened yesterday in the Tulkarm refugee camp.
In recent days, Nur Shams camp has witnessed a demolition campaign targeting more than 20 residential buildings in its main neighborhoods, damaging neighboring buildings. This is part of the occupation's plan to demolish 106 buildings in the two camps, including 58 in Tulkarm camp and 48 in Nur Shams camp, to open roads and alter their geographical features.
Occupation forces also continue to seize homes and residential buildings on Nablus Street and the adjacent northern neighborhood, after forcibly evicting their residents and converting them into military barracks. Some of these buildings have been under occupation control for more than two months.
Nablus Street, which connects Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps, has suffered significant damage after occupation forces placed intermittent earth mounds along its length several months ago. This has significantly impacted vehicle traffic and exacerbated the suffering of residents. This is in addition to the bulldozing and excavation work carried out, particularly at the northern entrance to Tulkarm camp.
The ongoing aggression has so far left 13 civilians dead, including a child and two women, one of whom was eight months pregnant. Dozens have also been wounded and detained, and the infrastructure, homes, shops, and vehicles have been destroyed by demolition, arson, and looting.
This escalation has displaced more than 4,200 families from the two camps, representing over 25,000 citizens. It has also led to the complete destruction of more than 400 homes and the partial destruction of 2,573 others. Furthermore, the entrances and alleys of the camps have been sealed off with earth mounds, transforming them into isolated areas almost devoid of any signs of life.
K.T
