Latest news with #Tulkarm
Al Mayadeen
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Israeli forces escalate raids in Tulkarm, al-Khalil, Beit Lahm
The Israeli occupation intensified its repressive measures against residents of Tulkarm refugee camp on Wednesday, targeting Palestinians attempting to collect their belongings from homes marked for demolition. The escalation is part of the occupation's ongoing assault on the city of Tulkarm and its camp, now in its 157th consecutive day. On Tuesday, the Israeli occupation forces issued demolition orders for 104 homes and buildings in Tulkarm camp under the pretext of 'military purposes.' Residents were given a 72-hour window, starting Wednesday, to vacate their properties. Simultaneously, a suffocating siege remains in place around Nur Shams refugee camp, now in its 144th day, with military patrols and armored vehicles stationed throughout alleyways and camp entrances. The ongoing aggression has so far led to the martyrdom of 13 Palestinians, including a child and two women. It has also resulted in widespread destruction of infrastructure, homes, shops, and civilian vehicles. Over 5,000 families have been forcibly displaced from the two camps, while more than 600 homes have been entirely demolished. The camps' entrances remain sealed off, turning both areas into nearly lifeless zones under siege. Israeli forces stormed a kindergarten on Martyrs' Street in al-Khalil on Wednesday, detaining more than 70 Palestinian children and assaulting the teaching staff. In Beit Lahm, occupation forces raided al-Khader town, focusing their operations in the Umm Rukba area south of the town, where they broke into and searched a local home. The intensifying military campaign across the occupied West Bank reflects the broader pattern of collective punishment and displacement exercised by the Israeli regime amid its ongoing war on Gaza and crackdown on resistance across Palestine. Israeli occupation forces and settlers launched a wide-ranging escalation across several areas of the northern occupied West Bank on Saturday, carrying out detentions, violent assaults, and road closures, particularly in and around the city of Nablus. In the village of Urif, south of Nablus, Israeli forces detained the parents of martyr Muhannad Shahada, one of the Palestinians involved in the recent 'Eli operation, as well as his brother Ihab Shahada, who was arrested from his workplace inside the territories occupied since 1948. The move is part of the occupation's policy of targeting relatives of Palestinian fighters. Elsewhere, in the village of Tell, southwest of Nablus, Israeli forces arrested a young man named Mahmoud Asida during a dawn raid. Later in the day, the village came under attack by dozens of Israeli settlers, who raided the Kafrour area under the protection of occupation soldiers. Read more: 'Israel' killed 16,800+ students in Gaza, West Bank since Oct. 2023 Palestinian youth confronted the settler assault, triggering fierce confrontations, which saw Israeli soldiers fire live ammunition at local residents, amid a state of high tension and mass mobilization in the village of Tell. Meanwhile, settlers gathered at an entrance to Nablus, demanding what they called 'permanent control' over Joseph's Tomb—a move widely condemned as a deliberate provocation and part of broader efforts to impose new settlement realities in the occupied West Bank. Read more: Israeli forces storm West Bank towns, shut down Christian sites In a further escalation, Israeli forces also stormed the town of Aqaba, north of Tubas, and later raided the city of Tubas, expanding their military operations beyond the Nablus region.
Al Mayadeen
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Israeli assault on West Bank continues, leaving over 40,000 displaced
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) began demolishing homes in the Tulkarm refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, as their rightful residents stood, notably Mahmoud Lutfi, contemplating what belongings to save before their houses were reduced to rubble. A report published by Reuters on Wednesday detailed that the 51-year-old father of six managed to rent a small room in the nearby city of Tulkarm, which remains an unsustainable option because he has no source of income. "I can't access my electronics repair shop inside the besieged camp," he said, raising concern over how he will support his family. 'We were displaced on January 27, 2024. They evicted us and told us not to return. It's been six months and we still can't go back,' Lutfi told Reuters. Most residents, he said, fled with nothing. 'If you try to go back to get your things, you risk being shot or arrested. Even when coordination allows a brief visit, you barely have time to retrieve anything.' He added that many families were worse off, forced to live in overcrowded schools or on agricultural land, surviving only on aid. According to Israeli rights group B'Tselem, Israeli offensives have displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including from Tulkarm, Nur Shams, and Jenin camps. The organization estimates that over 40,000 Palestinians have been forcibly uprooted in 2024 alone. The Israeli military claimed the demolitions are aimed at combating Palestinian Resistance groups and said the destruction was "operationally necessary" to allow troops to move freely. However, the demolitions have triggered widespread international condemnation and raised alarms over what many see as an organized effort to annex the West Bank, which "Israel" occupied in the 1967 war. This week, Reuters witnesses saw bulldozers clearing away debris from flattened homes and expanding roads surrounded by rubble. Residents scrambled to pile salvaged furniture, bedding, and cooking utensils onto trucks. Tulkarm Governor Abdullah Kamil said demolitions have surged in recent weeks, with 106 homes and 104 other buildings destroyed in Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps. "What's happening in Tulkarm is a continuous crime driven by a political decision from 'Israel'. This has nothing to do with security," Kamil stated, adding that "The infrastructure is in ruins. The camp is now a ghost town inhabited only by snipers stationed at multiple points." The assault, which began in January, is one of the largest in the West Bank since the Second Intifada over two decades ago. It involves ground forces backed by drones, helicopters, and, for the first time in years, heavy tanks. While efforts intensify to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, despite persistent Israeli obstruction, international rights groups are also expressing deep concern over escalating violence in the West Bank. Shai Barnes, communications director at B'Tselem, warned that "Israel is replicating the tactics used in Gaza, large-scale destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, and forced displacement of civilians from designated combat zones."Additionally, far-right voices in the Israeli government have openly called for the formal annexation of the West Bank. That said, Governor Kamil said the displacement crisis is adding pressure to an already struggling society, adding that thousands have taken shelter in mosques, schools, and crowded relatives' homes. Returning to the camp for the first time in six months, Lutfi was devastated by the scale of the destruction, stressing that "Most people who come back find their homes leveled. The damage is massive — wide roads, collapsed infrastructure, no electricity, no internet. Rebuilding this will take a very long time." Read more: Gaza isn't alone: West Bank suffers in shadow of ongoing Israeli war
Japan Times
09-07-2025
- General
- Japan Times
'Ghost camp': Israeli operations in West Bank push wave of Palestinians from their homes
Malik Lutfi contemplated which of his family's belongings to salvage in the few moments he was given while Israeli troops carried out home demolitions in the Tulkarm refugee camp where he grew up in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Now 51, the father of six has rented a small room in the nearby city of Tulkarm, but without access to his electronic repair shop in the cordoned-off camp, he has no income to meet the rent, sparking anxiety about his family's future. With bulldozers roaring outside, he said: "They kicked us out six months ago and we are still out. When you go back you try to bring anything you can, but in two hours with only our hands, you cannot bring many things."
Al Arabiya
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Israeli troops in West Bank push Palestinians from their homes
Malik Lutfi contemplated which of his family's belongings to salvage in the few moments he was given while Israeli troops carried out home demolitions in the Tulkarm refugee camp where he grew up in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Now 51, the father of six has rented a small room in the nearby city of Tulkarm, but without access to his electronic repair shop in the cordoned-off camp, he has no income to meet the rent, sparking anxiety about his family's future. With bulldozers roaring outside, he said: 'They kicked us out six months ago and we are still out. When you go back you try to bring anything you can, but in two hours with only our hands, you cannot bring many things.' He said he knew many families in a worse situation even than his, pushed to living in crowded schools or on patches of farmland. 'We are waiting for help,' he said. Israeli operations are pushing tens of thousands of West Bank Palestinians like Lutfi out of their homes, says B'Tselem, the independent Israeli human rights information center for the occupied territories. Around 40,000 residents from the Tulkarm, Nur Shams and Jenin refugee camps have been displaced by the military operation this year, B'Tselem said. Israel says it is acting against flashpoints of militancy, including the northern cities of Tulkarm and Jenin. 'This requires the demolition of buildings, allowing the forces to operate freely and move unhindered within the area,' an Israeli military spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday. 'The decision to demolish these structures is based on operational necessity and was made only after considering alternative options,' the statement said. Israeli demolitions have drawn widespread international criticism and coincide with heightened fears among Palestinians of an organized effort by Israel to formally annex the West Bank, the area seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Reuters witnesses this week saw bulldozers ploughing through buildings and wide, new roads lined by rubble that bulldozers had carved out by demolishing concrete homes. Residents piled chairs, blankets and cooking equipment onto trucks. Tulkarm's governor Abdullah Kamil said in recent weeks the destruction had intensified, with 106 homes and 104 other buildings in the nearby Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps destroyed. 'What is happening in Tulkarm is an Israeli political decision, the issue has nothing to do with security,' Kamil, the Palestinian governor, said. 'There is nothing left in the camp, it has become a ghost camp.' Israel's northern West Bank operation which began in January has been one of the biggest since the Second Intifada uprising by Palestinians more than 20 years ago, involving several brigades of troops earlier this year backed by drones, helicopters and, for the first time in decades, heavy battle tanks. Simmering situation As efforts ramp up in Washington and Qatar to secure a Gaza ceasefire deal, some international officials and rights groups say they are also worried about the simmering situation for Palestinians in the West Bank. 'In the northern West Bank, Israel has begun replicating tactics and combat doctrines honed in its current offensive on Gaza,' said Shai Parnes, public outreach director at B'Tselem. 'This includes increased ... widespread and deliberate destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, and forced displacement of civilians from areas designated by the military as combat zones.' Israeli hardliners inside and outside the government have called repeatedly for Israel to annex the West Bank, a kidney-shaped area around 100 kilometers (62 miles) long that Palestinians see as the core of a future independent state, along with Gaza and with East Jerusalem as its capital. Israeli government ministers deny that the West Bank operation has any wider purpose than battling militant groups. The Israeli military in its statement said it was following international law and targeting militancy. Kamil, the Palestinian governor, said displacement was putting pressure on a community already reeling economically, with thousands sheltering in mosques, schools and overcrowded homes with relatives. Returning for the first time in six months, Lutfi said he was shocked at the scale of damage. 'Most people when they come back to look at their homes, they find them destroyed, the destruction that meets them is enormous: wide streets, destroyed infrastructure and electricity,' he said. 'If we want to rebuild, it will take a long time.'
Arab News
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Ghost camp: Israeli operations in West Bank push wave of Palestinians from their homes
TULKARM: Malik Lutfi contemplated which of his family's belongings to salvage in the few moments he was given while Israeli troops carried out home demolitions in the Tulkarm refugee camp where he grew up in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Now 51, the father of six has rented a small room in the nearby city of Tulkarm, but without access to his electronic repair shop in the cordoned-off camp, he has no income to meet the rent, sparking anxiety about his family's future. With bulldozers roaring outside, he said: 'They kicked us out six months ago and we are still out. When you go back you try to bring anything you can, but in two hours with only our hands, you cannot bring many things.' He said he knew many families in a worse situation even than his, pushed to living in crowded schools or on patches of farmland. 'We are waiting for help,' he said. Israeli operations are pushing tens of thousands of West Bank Palestinians like Lutfi out of their homes, says B'Tselem, the independent Israeli human rights information center for the occupied territories. Around 40,000 residents from the Tulkarm, Nur Shams and Jenin refugee camps have been displaced by the military operation this year, B'Tselem said. Israel says it is acting against flashpoints of militancy, including the northern cities of Tulkarm and Jenin. 'This requires the demolition of buildings, allowing the forces to operate freely and move unhindered within the area,' an Israeli military spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday. 'The decision to demolish these structures is based on operational necessity and was made only after considering alternative options,' the statement said. Israeli demolitions have drawn widespread international criticism and coincide with heightened fears among Palestinians of an organized effort by Israel to formally annex the West Bank, the area seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Reuters witnesses this week saw bulldozers plowing through buildings and wide, new roads lined by rubble that bulldozers had carved out by demolishing concrete homes. Residents piled chairs, blankets and cooking equipment onto trucks. Tulkarm's governor Abdullah Kamil said in recent weeks the destruction had intensified, with 106 homes and 104 other buildings in the nearby Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps destroyed. 'What is happening in Tulkarm is an Israeli political decision, the issue has nothing to do with security,' Kamil, the Palestinian governor, said. 'There is nothing left in the camp, it has become a ghost camp.' Israel's northern West Bank operation which began in January has been one of the biggest since the Second Intifada uprising by Palestinians more than 20 years ago, involving several brigades of troops earlier this year backed by drones, helicopters and, for the first time in decades, heavy battle tanks. SIMMERING SITUATION As efforts ramp up in Washington and Qatar to secure a Gaza ceasefire deal, some international officials and rights groups say they are also worried about the simmering situation for Palestinians in the West Bank. 'In the northern West Bank, Israel has begun replicating tactics and combat doctrines honed in its current offensive on Gaza,' said Shai Parnes, public outreach director at B'Tselem. 'This includes increased ... widespread and deliberate destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, and forced displacement of civilians from areas designated by the military as combat zones.' Israeli hard-liners inside and outside the government have called repeatedly for Israel to annex the West Bank, a kidney-shaped area around 100 kilometers (62 miles) long that Palestinians see as the core of a future independent state, along with Gaza and with East Jerusalem as its capital. Israeli government ministers deny that the West Bank operation has any wider purpose than battling militant groups. The Israeli military in its statement said it was following international law and targeting militancy. Kamil, the Palestinian governor, said displacement was putting pressure on a community already reeling economically, with thousands sheltering in mosques, schools and overcrowded homes with relatives. Returning for the first time in six months, Lutfi said he was shocked at the scale of damage. 'Most people when they come back to look at their homes, they find them destroyed, the destruction that meets them is enormous: wide streets, destroyed infrastructure and electricity,' he said. 'If we want to rebuild, it will take a long time.'
