WEST BANK (Palestine Foundation Information Center) The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) mistreated residents of the Tulkarem refugee camp in the northern West Bank as they attempted to retrieve their belongings from homes under threat of demolition.
This came as part of the Israeli plan to destroy 104 buildings inside the camp under the pretext of “military purposes.”
Local sources confirmed that IOF deliberately obstructed residents’ access to their homes by inspecting IDs, detaining some individuals, and subjecting others to field interrogations and searches—all under an atmosphere of provocation and tension.
During the few hours allotted, families rushed against time to evacuate their belongings, accompanied by volunteers from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. Meanwhile, the IOF surrounded the area, deploying heavily at the camp’s entrances, in its alleyways, and converting homes into military outposts. They chased residents, firing live ammunition and stun grenades to terrorize them.
Last night, the Israeli army announced it would allow the “second batch” of families—those who were previously unable to evacuate—to enter the camp and retrieve their belongings from 2:30 PM to 6:30 PM today.
The evacuation only applied to 54 of the homes listed for demolition. Three designated entry and exit points were announced: the Maqata’a neighborhood entrance, the Hanoun Square entrance, and the entrance next to Zanoubia Girls School leading to the UNRWA schools.
This is part of an escalating policy of pressure against camp residents, who have faced 161 consecutive days of Israeli aggression, forced eviction orders, and continuous threats to their homes and possessions. The IOF has imposed a tight siege on the camp and surrounding areas, including widespread demolition of dozens of residential buildings in recent days.
Simultaneously, the Israeli occupation maintains a siege on the nearby Nur Shams refugee camp for the 148th straight day, with soldiers and military vehicles deployed across its alleys and entrances. Demolitions there have left major roads torn apart, isolating neighborhoods from one another.
Tulkarem city itself also saw a heavy Israeli military presence today. Armored vehicles patrolled main roads, including Nablus Street, the central market, Martyr Thabet Thabet Square, and Jamal Abdel Nasser Square. The IOF troops obstructed both pedestrian and vehicle movement, drove in the wrong direction, and rammed parked cars, endangering civilians.
Troops stormed the suburbs of Shuweika, Irtah, and Dhanaba, erected sudden flying checkpoints, and detained and searched young men after inspecting their IDs.
Nablus Street, which connects the Tulkarem and Nur Shams camps, remains a heavily militarized zone. The IOF has seized multiple residential buildings there and in the northern and eastern neighborhoods of Tulkarem, especially those near the camps. Some buildings have been under military control for over four months, with bulldozers and heavy machinery deployed throughout the area.
The street suffers extensive damage from earth barriers the military placed months ago. Occupation forces frequently set up flying checkpoints, severely hampering traffic and increasing civilian suffering.
So far, this ongoing assault has left 14 Palestinians killed, including a child and two women, one of whom was eight months pregnant. Dozens have been injured or arrested, while vast damage has been inflicted on infrastructure, homes, shops, and vehicles.
The escalation has forcibly displaced more than 5,000 families, or over 25,000 individuals, from both camps. More than 600 homes have been completely destroyed, and 2,573 have been partially damaged. The entrances to both camps remain closed off by earth barriers, turning them into ghost towns stripped of life.
