Israeli forces demolished multiple apartment buildings in a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, displacing dozens of Palestinian families, a Palestinian official told CNN.
This demolition is part of an ongoing military campaign that has already forced tens of thousands of Palestinians from their homes.
Following Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023, Israel has intensified its operations in the West Bank, employing airstrikes and other military tactics that were once rare in the region.
In January, the Israel Defense Forces launched “Operation Iron Wall,” a large-scale offensive targeting the northern West Bank.
According to Israeli Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, the operation takes direct lessons from repeated raids in Gaza.
The war in Gaza has already devastated approximately 90% of housing units, as reported by the United Nations. Similarly, in the West Bank, at least 40,000 Palestinians have been displaced from their homes in the northern region, according to UN estimates.
Governor of Tulkarem in the West Bank, Abdullah Kamil, stated on Wednesday that Israeli forces destroyed buildings on Tuesday that had housed numerous families across multiple floors.
“The Israeli military are doing this under pretext of security and fighting terrorism,” Kamil told CNN, calling the operation “purely political” and aimed at appeasing hardliners within Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.
Far-right Israeli Finance Minister, Bezalel Smotrich, who oversees Jewish settlements in the West Bank, ordered preparations for the annexation of settlements last November.
He claimed that a victory by United States President, Donald Trump, in the upcoming election would present a key opportunity for Israel.
Palestinians seek the West Bank, along with Gaza and occupied East Jerusalem, as part of a future independent state.
However, Israeli settlements in these areas are considered illegal under international law.
Israel initiated Operation Iron Wall just two days after a ceasefire took effect in Gaza, stating that its goal was to eliminate “terrorists and terror infrastructure” and prevent future attacks.
On Tuesday, the Israeli military said its forces were operating in Tulkarem to “neutralize terrorist infrastructure” and clear paths for future security operations.
Footage aired by a Palestinian television station showed bulldozers tearing down buildings in what was reported to be the Tulkarem refugee camp.
Additional videos from a local journalist showed a bulldozer maneuvering through the camp’s narrow streets, with soldiers patrolling nearby.
The IDF also announced the arrest of 25 individuals in the northern West Bank, claiming they were “suspected of involvement in terrorist activity across the area.” Troops reportedly seized weapons and other materials during the operation.
Escalating Military Actions in the West Bank
The Israeli military’s campaign, which began in the Jenin refugee camp last month, has since expanded to other areas, including the Tulkarem, Nur Shams, and El Far’a refugee camps, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA).
Kamil, the Tulkarem governor, reported that approximately 85% of the residents from the Nur Shams and Tulkarem camps, around 16,000 people, had been displaced.
He also alleged that Israeli forces conducted night raids on homes, causing widespread destruction.
Many properties in the Nur Shams camp were heavily damaged, while both camps suffered water and electricity cuts.
UNRWA has warned that the forced displacement of Palestinian communities in the northern West Bank is accelerating at a dangerous rate.
The agency reported that 38 airstrikes have hit the West Bank this year alone, with Israel increasingly using advanced weaponry and controlled detonations—tactics mirroring the war in Gaza.
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister, Mohammad Mustafa, has called for immediate humanitarian assistance, including aid and shelter, for the displaced Palestinians.
He directed urgent support for those forced to flee refugee camps in Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams, emphasizing that help would continue until “Israeli forces withdraw from the targeted areas.”
