Category: Photo Story - Page 2 - International Solidarity Movement

The Israeli occupation forces use a warplane to carry out an assassination in Nur Shams Camp

By Diana Khwaelid

Tulkarm-Nur Shams refugee camp

30 – Jun – 2024

The Israeli occupying forces carried out an assassination in partnership with the Israeli commander in charge of the north-central areas of the West Bank and The Israeli internal security service, an assassination in broad daylight in the Nur Shams refugee camp northeast of the city of Tulkarem in the West Bank.

At about 2: 00pm an Israeli warplane bombed a Palestinian house in the Al-Manshiyeh area of the camp,with Palestinian resistance members inside. The bombing resulted in the death of a Palestinian man, and injured five others. Two of them are in serious condition.

According to Palestinian eyewitnesses, there are at least four Palestinian houses damaged by this shelling, where women, children, and men were living inside and whose lives were threatenede as a result of shrapnel that penetrated the walls of their houses and the windows were broken from the force of the shelling.

A resident of Nour Shams Camp looks out of her window after the Israeli attack — A resident of Nur Shams Camp looks out of her window after the Israeli attack

A resident of Nour Shams sits amongst shrapnel strewn inside his home after the Israeli bombardment — A resident of Nur Shams sits amongst shrapnel strewn inside his home after the Israeli bombardment

The Palestinian medical and civil defense teams rushed to secure the house and the area. They recovered the injured and the body of the Palestinian martyr Saad Jaber, 24, who died as a result of his injury.

The residents of Nur al-Shams camp are living in a state of fear due to the increase in Israeli attacks on the camp over the past few months.

Hundreds of Palestinians mourned the Palestinian martyr Said Ezzat Jaber, 24, who Israeli occupation forces tried to assassinate more than once. The last time a few days ago, but he miraculously survived these attempts. Said is considered one of the most prominent Palestinian resisters in the camp and he died defending the camp today. The people of the camp are mourning him and saying goodbye for the last time.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, there are at least 116 martyrs in the city of Tulkarm since October 7.

The funeral of a martyr from Nour Shams — The funeral of a martyr from Nur Shams

Three martyred and five wounded in Tulkarem

By Diana Khwaelid

Three Palestinian men were martyred and more than five Palestinians were wounded during the Israeli occupation’s invasion of Tulkarem.

The city of Tulkarm in the northern West Bank has witnessed dozens of incursions by the Israeli occupation forces recently. Since 7th October, the number of martyrs of the city of Tulkarm has risen to 109, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.

On 16th May, Israeli occupation forces stormed the city of Tulkarm around 1:00 AM. The Israeli occupation forces stationed themselves in the city center on Nablus Street, where the occupation vehicles, accompanied by a D9 bulldozer, stormed the Gulf Exchange store. Israeli occupation forces completely destroyed the store and confiscated its money safe under the pretext that the exchange store transferred money to Palestinian organizations described by Israeli occupation forces as terrorist organizations.

The Israeli occupation forces also deployed snipers throughout the city in buildings and on the roofs of Palestinian homes. These snipers killed three Palestinian youths and wounded more than five other Palestinians.

The Palestinian martyrs are: Ahmed Mubarak, 26, from Tulkarem camp; Imad Dabbas, 22; and Mohammed Yusuf Nasrallah, 27.

Funeral processions started from Tulkarem’s Martyr Doctor Thabit Thabit Governmental Hospital amid angry national chants condemning the crimes of the Israeli occupation against the residents of Tulkarem and the massacres in the West Bank and Gaza.

The families of the martyrs bid a last farewell with a state of great sadness and sorrow.

Destruction and siege: Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps under attack

4 January 2024 | International Solidarity Movement | Tulkarm

By Diana Khwaelid

On the night of Tuesday, January 2, the Israeli occupation carried out a new incursion against the residents of the city of Tulkarm and its two refugee camps.

Tulkarm camp was turned into a place unsuitable for living, and Nur Shams camp was besieged for more than 22 hours. Dozens of military vehicles stormed Tulkarm, including D9 – D10 bulldozers and personnel carriers, and hospitals’ entrances were surrounded.

A ghost City.

Since the beginning of the Israeli incursion on Tulkarm, the city, nearby villages and the camps, have turned into a ghost area. Social life and daily activity stopped completely after the Israeli occupation forces stationed at all the entrances of the two camps.

The shops closed, including necessary activities like bakeries and pharmacies, and all sectors were at a standstill for more than 22 hours.

Tulkarm camp turned to ashes.

The Tulkarm refugee camp has turned from a lively and active camp full of joy, happiness and safety – despite the difficult life and suffering that Palestinians live in – into a destroyed gray camp, unsuitable for living. More than 10 shops and dozens of houses were destroyed; one of these houses was bombed by drones.

Wherever you look, you will see destruction, whether of Palestinian homes, streets, shops, walls of a house, a school, a playground: everything has been completely destroyed.

Life is very difficult in the camp, especially for women, children, and the elderly. The people of the camp no longer feel safe, especially after the recent incursions, and after the events of October 7, the situation in the camp and the West Bank in general has become more dangerous and worse. But despite everything, the residents of the camp remain steadfast, and said: “We will never surrender. Despite everything that the Israeli occupation does to us, we will remain on this land and we will remain in the camp even if it is completely destroyed.”

Nur Shams camp.

The Nur Shams refugee camp, northeast of Tulkarm, has turned into a closed military zone and has been besieged for more than 22 hours.

Electricity, water, internet and communication lines have been cut since the first hours of the Israeli incursion into the camp. The Israeli occupation forces raided and stormed dozens of Palestinian houses, and arrested more than 20 Palestinians men, most of whom were later released.

The main roads in the camp were also destroyed, especially in the AL-Manshiyya neighborhood. Difficult times are experienced by the residents of Nur Shams refugee camp: Palestinians are unsafe in their homes, and Israeli snipers are everywhere.

Also, Israeli reconnaissance aircraft have not left the skies of Tulkarm since the first minutes of the incursion.

The Israeli occupation forces continued to carry out incursions over incursions into more than one area of the West Bank, especially in the camps, and the fierce Israeli attacks have began more complicated since October 7.

Photos credit: ISM/Diana Khwaelid

Unprecedented Coordinated IOF Attacks in West Bank

28 December 2023 | International Solidarity Movement | West Bank

Early this morning, between 1:00 am and 6:00 am, Israeli Occupation Forces invaded several cities across the West Bank. Seven of the eleven Palestinian governorates in the West Bank were invaded in a coordinated attack, the largest since October 7. Clashes were documented in Jenin, Hebron, Qalqilya, and Ramallah, with reports of invasions in Tulkarem, Nablus, and Jericho. Invasion forces stormed the cities, targeting money transfer stations, stating that funds were being funneled from these major cities to Hamas. Many eyewitness reports observed soldiers breaking open safes and, according to The New Arab, stealing at least $2.8 million from these targeted locations after classifying them as having involvement with “terrorism”.

IOF Soldiers in Ramallah steal millions (source: FajerTV)

On the ground ISM members in Ramallah report dozens of army tanks storming and patrolling the streets before direct clashes with Palestinian youth resistance in Al Manara square and in the Qadura refugee camp. Youth were preparing to resist by smashing large rocks to break them up while tanks loaded steel bullets into their assault rifles (steel bullets, as opposed to copper, are intended to be able to penetrate helmets, concrete, and other industrial materials).

Israeli military shell casings vs Palestinian defense weapon

Palestinians fiercely resisted the military invasion for hours, throwing rocks, metal pieces and molotov cocktails at the indestructible tanks. Invasion forces responded with live fire, rubber tipped steel bullets, tear gas, sound grenades, and other explosive devices. This bombardment withstood for several hours, mostly concentrated between 2 and 5 am, resulting in one IOF soldier shot, 14 Palestinians injured, at least 4 of which were with live ammunition, and one Palestinian, named Hazim Al-Qatawi (23), shot and killed.

⭕ Hazem Al-Qatawi ascended to martyrdom as a result of being shot by Ziomist forces during violent confrontations in the center of Ramallah.

Glory to our martyrs.. pic.twitter.com/EwQi6430mL

— Palestine Captives (@Palestinecapti1) December 28, 2023

Along with bodily harm, this extension of the ongoing occupation has resulted in storefront destruction, shattered car windows, and the street littered with remnants of destruction.

Community cleans up after shop destroyed near Al Manara square

Tulkarm Bids Farewell to 5 Palestinians Killed in an Israeli Military Operation.

18 December 2023 | International Solidarity Movement | Nour Shams refugee camp

By Diana Khwaelid

An Israeli military operation lasted for more than 10 hours in the Nour Shams refugee camp.

Destruction of infrastructure

Dozens of military vehicles stormed the city of Tulkarem on the evening of Sunday, December 16, as they targeted the Nour Shams camp east of the city. The Israeli occupation forces bulldozed the main entrance in Tulkarem and destroyed the infrastructure using one of their D9 military vehicles, as they had previously done with previous incursions. It also destroyed the water network and sewage pipes and cut off electricity and the internet.

Palestinian resistance fighters defended the camp.

There were strong clashes between Palestinian Resisters and Israeli occupation soldiers, who confronted the occupation forces after they stormed the camp, for more than 10 continuous hours. The occupation forces also bombed two houses one with drones and the other with an anti-armor missile.

A state of fear

A state of fear and terror prevailed in the homes and neighborhoods of the camp’s people, both children and women, a long and bloody night described by the camp’s residents, following the Storming of the camp. The sound of explosions and fire was enough to bring terror to the hearts of Palestinians.

Obstructing the movement of medical crews and ambulances.

The Israeli occupation forces obstructed the movement of medical personnel, whether the medical teams of the Red Cross or the Palestinian medical relief and volunteer teams to move easily inside the camp to transport the injured, and the occupation forces obstructed the movement of ambulances and arrested a 16 year-old boy from inside an ambulance on its way to the hospital.

5 Palestinians killed, dozens injured.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, 5 Palestinians were killed in the Nur Shams refugee camp, and more than 10 injuries reached the (Thabit Thabit) government hospital in the city, whether by shrapnel due to drone, or fire live bullets .

The five martyrs are: Walid Zahra, Asaad Zahra, Ghaith Shehadeh, Mahmoud Jaber and Jihad Amarna.

A state of sadness and shock of loss.

Hundreds of Palestinians mourned the bodies of the five martyrs, and their families took a last farewell look at them, in a state of great sadness and shock women, men, and children participated in the funeral and chanted words of patience and patience to them and chanted patriotic words in the form of the Camp people in the face of the occupation until the liberation of Palestine.

Photo credit: ISM/Diana Khwaelid