Tag: army raid

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

One war in Gaza and another in the West Bank

by Diana Khwaelid

7 December 2023 | International Solidarity Movement | Tulkarem

The fire of the war between Hamas and Israel since October 7 has not only burned the civilian population of Gaza. Palestinian civilians in the West Bank have tasted their share of it, too.
On December 7, the Israeli occupation forces once again stormed the city of Tulkarem. They did so late at night, with dozens of military vehicles, including the D9 bulldozers that have been used by the Israeli army to destroy roads, streets and infrastructure in all previous incursions to Tulkarem camp, Nur Shams camp, Jenin camp and Balata camp.

The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) surrounded the Thabet Thabet Government Hospital in the city and obstructed the movement of ambulances. Ambulances were stopped and inspected after they managed to reach some of the injured Palestinians.

The IOF also stormed the Tulkarem refugee camp in the city, destroying the main street of the camp. But in this latest incursion, it was the population of the Nur Shams refugee camp — located three kilometers east of Tulkarem — that suffered the heaviest damage.

The Israeli occupation forces smashed the main entrance to the Nur Shams refugee camp for the seventh time this year. Eyewitnesses said that the occupation forces used bulldozers to destroy the infrastructure and roads in camp, including the main roads in the Al-Damaj neighborhood.

Vital civilian infrastructure, such water networks and sewerage were destroyed, as roads and streets became a dangerous zone for all residents of the camp, including women and children.

The IOF did not spare schools either. The main entrance to the UNRWA school in the camp was also destroyed, while another school saw its wall partially demolished.

In the meanwhile, residents of the Tulkarem camp buried the body of the martyr father Ayman Anbar, 47-year-old, who was wounded by a live bullet shot by an Israeli soldier during the second-last raid of the camp, which took place on November 14th. Abu Lamin stayed in the intensive care unit at the Nablus specialized hospital for almost three weeks before succumbing to the wounds. He leaves behind his wife and family, including Lamis, his 8-year-old daughter.

Lamis Anbar was joined by residents of the Tulkarem camp in mourning her father’s body and saying one last goodbye.

According to the latest statistics by the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the number of Palestinian martyrs since the beginning of this year has reached 18,019, while 55,069 Palestinians have been injured and 9,029 arrested.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the number of martyrs of the West Bank since October 7th has reached 274.

The city of Tulkarm has recorded 44 Palestinian martyrs since October 7th

Two attacks in less than 24 hours in Tulkarem Camp

08 November 2023 | International Solidarity Movement | Tulkarm

By Diana Khwaelid

The Israeli occupation is not only committing crimes in Gaza, it continues to commit crimes in the West Bank.

A quick military operation was carried out by Israeli special forces in broad daylight, as they planned an ambush for three young men from the Tulkarm refugee camp, near the eastern neighborhood – the roundabout of the slaughterhouse in the city of Tulkarm.

On Monday evening (6th of October), around 4: 38 PM, Israeli special forces assassinated 3 Palestinian youths inside their car in the eastern neighborhood of Tulkarm city. Another Palestinian was killed later, bringing the number to 4 Palestinians who were in the area.
At least 70-80 live bullets were fired.

The Israeli special forces opened fire at point-blank range on the three young men, and continued firing on the corpses even after the three Palestinians had been killed. 5 other Palestinian civilians who were in the area were also shot, including a 14-year-old boy, whose injury was described as serious.

The Israeli occupation forces were not satisfied with this brutal assassination, and on Tuesday night (7th of November) at 03.00 AM the occupation forces invaded and stormed the Tulkarem refugee camp, with the presence of huge military vehicles, including a D9 type crawler, to bulldoze and sabotage the main roads and streets in the camp, especially in the Balawneh neighborhood.

During a difficult night in the shadow of tension and fear, the occupation forces vandalized the camp’s infrastructure, the main streets and roads leading to the camp, and also targeted the power transformer and the electricity grid. The Israeli occupation forces and its military vehicles shelled two Palestinian homes, the first belonging to the Al-Banna family, and the other belonging to the martyr Azzedine Awad, one of the young men who was assassinated inside by the IOF (Israeli Occupation Forces) the day before.

Two shops belonging to family members of the martyr Azzedine Awad were destroyed, and his mother was hit by an Israeli bullet in the face area, although her wound was described as superficial.

Hundreds of Palestinians in Tulkarm camp and the city mourned the four martyrs to their final resting place: Jihad Shehada, 24 years old; Ezzedine Awad, 27 years old; Mo’min Belaoui, 20 years old; Qasem Rogby, 20 years old.

Their parents, friends, and camp residents took a last farewell look at them, and chanted words of anger and national unity as they transported the corpeses of the martyrs to the Al-Salam mosque in the camp to pray for them, and later to the the Nabi cemetery, on the other side of Tulkarm camp. A state of sadness prevails in the Tulkarm refugee camp after the killing of 4 of its young men.

The occupation forces continue to brutally kill Palestinian youth, in the West Bank and Gaza.

According to the Palestinian Ministry of health, 29 Palestinians have been killed in the city of Tulkarem since October 7th, while in the whole of the West Bank there have been more than 160 martyrs during the same period.

Palestinian child looses leg after Israeli occupation invades Nur Shams Camp

Mohammed Zendiq at the hostpital. Credit: Mohammed’s family

On Monday July 24, 16 year old Mohammed Zendiq lost his leg during the invasion of Nur Shams refugee camp, near Tulkarem, by the Israeli Occupation Forces.

In the 4 hour long invasion, the IOF accompanied by a military bulldozer caused serious material damage to the camp’s main streets and infrastructures as well as private property like citizen’s cars, homes and shops.

Mohammed normally lives in 48 [Mandatory Palestine] with his mother as they both have an Israeli ID, but he visits his father weekly in the Nur Shams camp, in the West Bank. He told us that at the time of the invasion, he was standing in the street when he suddenly felt an explosion. He was then rushed to an Israeli hospital where his right leg was amputated just above the knee. He was treated at the hospital for one month and was released on Monday August 21. During that time, his father was unable to visit him as he has no Israeli ID.

Mohammed is the youngest of five siblings and a high school student, although the injury means that his studies are currently on hold and he might not be able to continue with his studies, considering that he will soon have to return to the hospital for further examinations for six months. Regardless, he stressed that he felt like his future would still be bright, he hopes to be able to get a prosthesis, find a job and marry.

Destruction after the invasion of Nur Shams camp. Credit: Diana Khwaelid

Both his parents were deeply shaken by their son’s injury, although they expressed extreme relief that he was at least still alive. His father described how hard it had been for him not being able to see his son at the hospital, and his mother told us that she had felt like she was loosing her mind for ten days after the attack. She added that the most difficult moment for her was when the hospital handed her Mohammed’s amputated leg. She concluded by saying that she felt “like any Palestinian mother”.

Similarly, his father highlighted that Mohammed was one example amongst many other tragedies. He says that while the IOF claims to only target resistance fighters, and Israeli as well as international news view Palestinians as terrorists, many victims are simply civilians trying to lead a normal life in the camps. Mohammed’s mother expressed her anger over the fact that even in the camp, supposedly under Palestinian control, Palestinians are not “left alone to live in peace”.

Mohammed’s father said that he supports peace without violence, but that he entirely blames the Israeli government for any violence that arises. He insisted on noting that many Israelis side with Palestinians, that many Jews across Europe oppose the Israeli occupation, to make clear that, to him, the Israeli government and its repressive system were the only ones at fault.

Before we left, Mohammed told us: “Right now, Israeli children can swim and run. But what about me?”

Israeli Army invasion of Nur Shams camp. Credit: Diana Khwaelid

Israeli Forces Raid Girls’ School in Occupied Hebron

8th January 2015 | International Solidarity Movement, Al-Khalil team | Hebron, occupied Palestine

In the afternoon of 5 January 2015 Israeli Forces raided Al Faihaa elementary school for girls in occupied Al-Khalil (Hebron). Children were not in school at the time, only teachers were present. The team of around 8 soldiers entered in order to retrieve video footage from the school’s security system and take photos from the roof which overlooks the checkpoint where a soldier was shot a few days prior. This is one stop of many places the military has raided in search of evidence of the unidentified shooter.

Israeli forces raiding Al-Faihaa girls' school — Israeli forces previously raiding the office (photo from ISM)

The headmaster of the school informed that she was kept at gunpoint and not allowed to leave for an hour. She asked the soldiers to call the Minister of Education and speak with them as she was alone in the office, but they confiscated both the school phone and her personal cell phone leaving her unable to make any phone calls or take pictures. This is not the first time Israeli forces have entered the school. In previous weeks, soldiers entered the courtyard during school time while students were preparing for exams to fire tear gas at a neighboring boys’ school.

Israeli forces raid Al-Faihaa girls elementary school — Israeli forces in the school (photo from ISM)

The school is now on holiday for three weeks, and the headmaster, working at the school for 2 years, explains, “I should come to work during vacation 1 day a week, but no teachers or anyone will come so its not safe.” In addition to facing terror from soldiers, teachers and students have also endured harassment and attacks from settlers. The school’s population has dropped in the last year from 260 students to 252, but the headmaster explains that she refuses to transfer students to other schools because “they” (the Israeli Forces and settlers) want this area and the school closed. The school and the neighboring family home where soldiers also entered to take photos, are the only things still open in the area right next to the closed Shuhada street where Palestinians are forbidden. Thus keeping the school open and running is important and a form of resistance against the occupation.