TULKARM, June 25, 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 WAFA correspondent.
She 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 city and refugee camp of Tulkarm entered the 150th consecutive day, and that on Nur Shams entered the 137th consecutive day.
She added that Israeli army bulldozers razed tracts of land and tore down residential buildings in several neighborhoods of the camp, reducing them to rubble, all under the pretext of opening new roads and separating the neighborhoods from one another.
Meanwhile, the occupation forces continue to impose a tight siege on the two camps and their surroundings, at a time when infantry soldiers and armored army bulldozers and vehicles were deployed on a large scale in alleys and at entrances, preventing residents from reaching their homes to retrieve their belongings, and opening fire directly at anyone who tries to approach.
Over the past two weeks, the occupying forces tore down over 50 residential buildings in the camp, causing extensive destruction of the civilian infrastructure as part of a plan to change the layout of the Palestinian refugee camps in the cities of Jenin and Tulkarm as part of a large-scale military aggression in the northern occupied West Bank that has been ongoing since late January.
Announced on May 1, the plan aims to completely wipe out the Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams refugee camps, transforming them into neighborhoods within the two cities. It envisages the demolition of 106 Palestinian-owned structures in both camps, comprising over 250 apartments and dozens of commercial establishments.
Israeli army vehicles have been intercepting Palestinians’ vehicles and driving in the opposite direction, posing a risk to civilians’ lives, particularly at the marketplace of Tulkarm and Thannaba.
In the meantime, the occupying forces continue to take over residential buildings on Nablus Street and the northern neighborhood of the city, expelling the occupants and turning them into military and sniping posts. The soldiers have been occupying some of these houses for over three months.
They already erected earth mounds on the Nablus Street linking the camps, causing extensive destruction and further obstructing the movement of Palestinians and their vehicles, with the soldier setting up sudden checkpoints and inspecting and interrogating civilians, compounding their suffering.
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.
The aggression on Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps has displaced over 5,000 families, comprising over 25,000 citizens, and resulted not only in the total destruction of over 500 houses, but also in partially damaging 2,573 others. The entrances to the two camps remain blocked with barriers, transforming them into almost lifeless areas.
Over the aggression on the two camps, Israel has killed 13 Palestinians, including a minor and two women, one of whom was pregnant, injuring dozens, arresting hundreds, and causing near-total destruction.
K.F.
