TULKARM, December 17, 2025 (WAFA) — Israeli occupation forces on Wednesday obstructed Palestinian residents from entering Nour Shams refugee camp, east of Tulkarm, as families attempted to retrieve belongings from homes threatened with demolition under a new Israeli plan targeting 25 residential buildings in the camp.
WAFA correspondent reported that Israeli soldiers deliberately restricted residents’ access to their homes by checking identification documents, briefly detaining several people, and subjecting others to on-site questioning and humiliating searches. Residents were also prevented from entering the camp under the pretext of lacking prior coordination, creating an atmosphere of tension and provocation.
During the limited hours granted for entry, families were seen racing against time to evacuate their belongings, accompanied by volunteers from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. Meanwhile, Israeli forces sealed off the area, deployed heavily at the camp’s entrances and within its alleys, turned nearby homes into military posts, and pursued and intimidated residents.
The Israeli army had announced late Tuesday that families who obtained permits would be allowed to enter the camp to remove their possessions in two morning periods through two entry points — one from the al-Maslakh neighborhood in the west and another from the al-Manshiya neighborhood in the east — and a third period in the evening through the southern entrance.
On Sunday evening, Israeli forces issued a military order to demolish 25 residential buildings in Nour Shams camp on Thursday morning, as part of what residents describe as a systematic policy aimed at targeting Palestinian presence and forcibly displacing the population.
This latest measure comes amid ongoing pressure on camp residents, who have faced repeated forced evacuation orders since the start of the Israeli assault on the camp 312 days ago. The situation has left families in shock and distress as they continue to face the threat of losing their homes and property, while the camp and its surroundings remain under tight siege. The area witnessed widespread demolitions of dozens of residential buildings during the past summer.
According to statistics released by the Nour Shams Camp Popular Services Committee, more than 11,500 residents have been displaced from the camp and surrounding neighborhoods, including Jabal al-Nasr and al-Salihin. The occupation forces have completely destroyed or bulldozed more than 750 residential buildings, carving wide roads through the camp that have divided it into small residential blocks.
The data also indicate that over 1,600 buildings sustained varying degrees of damage, more than 80 residential buildings and commercial facilities were set on fire, around 230 private and commercial vehicles were damaged, and 260 commercial establishments were partially or fully destroyed. Several public institutions were also damaged or destroyed, including mosques, kindergartens, a rehabilitation center for people with disabilities, a youth social center, and the UNRWA office.
M.N
