Tag: refugee camp

Israel’s attacks on refugee camps in the West Bank

By Diana Khwaelid — Northern West Bank — 8th May 2025

The Israeli occupation forces continue their aggression on the city of Tulkarm and its camp for the 102nd consecutive day, and for the 89th day on the Nur Shams camp East of the city with a continuous escalation of raids, inspections, and demolition of homes and infrastructure.

This afternoon, May 8th, I stood on one of the elevated areas overlooking the Nur Shams refugee camp. This area, called Al-Ahraash, is situated in the city of Tulkarem in the north of the West Bank.

The Israeli military operation there started in mid-January of this year and is currently ongoing. It is part of what Israel has termed the ‘Operation Protective Fence,’ which focuses on the camps in the northern West Bank, especially the Tulkarem, Nur Shams and Jenin camps. This is the most violent and destructive operation since the Second Intifada in 2002.

A view over the Nur Shams camp. — A view over the Nur Shams refugee camp.

It is in this context that a notification of the decision to demolish 48 houses in Nur Shams camp and 58 houses in Tulkarm refugee camp was recently issued by the Israeli military. Today, dozens of Palestinians displaced from Nur Shams camp — women, children, youth, men —were sitting around me, anxiously and painfully waiting for the decisive moment of demolition of their homes or that of their relatives, with bulldozers and other military machines. There is little they can do to prevent the destruction of the home where they grew up before their very eyes.

The Israeli occupation forces granted as little as two hours to the Palestinian inhabitants to leave their homes after receiving the demolition notice. We have, however, now been waiting for three hours, during which we have monitored the movement of the occupation forces on the main street of the Nur Shams refugee camp, including heavy bulldozers.

The continuation of the Israeli operation on the camps in the northern West Bank led to the displacement of about 4,200 families from the Tulkarem and Nur Shams camps and the destruction of 400 Palestinian homes completely and 2,573 homes partially, in addition to blocking home entrances with heavy fences.

Three young Palestinian children are sat amidst some trees in the sun. — Palestinian children anxiously await the demolition of their houses by the Israeli military.

While Israel as always claims the ‘Operation Protective Fence’ is fighting terrorism, it is itself an operation to terrorise all Palestinians in the West Bank. False arguments continue to be pushed and one crime after another are committed by Israel in all of Palestine, in the absence of international laws criminalising terrorism and war against civilians, who are now paying the price in both Gaza and the West Bank.
It is possible that Israel is planning to destroy the camps entirely, as suggested by the fact that it has targeted all UNRWA offices in the West Bank camps, especially in Jerusalem. This completely contradicts their claims of counterterrorism operations.

Through this process, Israel is also trying to destroy the social and political fabric in Palestine. The residents of the camp are separated into separate cantons and the population composition is dismantled. This risks turning the refugee camps into ordinary residential neighbourhoods under heavy surveillance which includes security guards and checkpoints. There will soon be no refugee camps left.

This is a serious problem, since the denomination of Palestinian refugees as such is essential as evidence of the displacement of Palestinians in the 1948 Nakba and the ongoing Israeli occupation.

Nine martyrs in Tulkarem: who will hold Israel accountable?

Israel has committed war crimes in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Syria, and in Lebanon. Who will hold them accountable for their crimes?

By Diana Khwaelid | December 27, 2024 | Tulkarem, West Bank 

Nine Palestinian were martyred last week in Tulkarem and neighbouring cities during an Israeli military operation in refugee camps in the West Bank. On December 24, Israel launched a military campaign in several cities and camps in the northern West Bank, including Tamoun in Tubas city, Al-Ain camp in Nablus, al-Amari camp in Ramallah, Qalqilya and Tulkarem.

Nine morgue drawers in a small room. In seven of them, bodies wrapped in fabric are visible. Another one has its door already closed, and a man is midway through closing the door of another one. — The bodies of the nine Palestinian martyrs in the morgue.

In the city of Tulkarem, the Israeli occupation’s military operation destroyed roads and infrastructure as well as houses and private property in the Tulkarem and Nur Shams camps. The operation lasted for more than 43 consecutive hours, during which the occupation killed nine Palestinians, including two women and a child.

Tulkarem Camp:

A street bordered by buildings on both sides, turned into a mud road littered with debris and with very large puddles of water. In the background, children are playing. On the right, some Palestinian inhabitants are clearing debris off the road. — Destruction in the Tulkarem camp after the Israeli incursion.

Israeli occupation bulldozers destroyed much of the camp’s infrastructure, which had already been severely damaged during the previous Israeli military incursions. They also targeted the camp citizens’ property, including shops, cars, and houses. Palestinian inhabitants of the Tulkarem camp often describe it as having become a microcosm of what is happening in Gaza.

A city road bordered by palm trees, with two large armoured military vehicles rolling towards the left. — Military vehicles during the Israeli incursion in Tulkarem.

The municipality and the Palestinian Civil Defense crews are trying to repair the destroyed infrastructure, streets, houses, and water pipes — as much as is possible.

Nur shams camp:

A city road with an armoured military car advancing towards the camera, followed by a large tank and a bulldozer (rolling besides the road). — The Israeli incursion in Nur Shams camp.

In the Nur Shams camp, the Israeli occupation bulldozers destroyed the property of citizens along al-Sikka Street-Nablus Street and several shops, including a pharmacy. The Israeli incursion has made the day-to-day unlivable for the residents of the camps in Tulkarm and Nur Shams.

In the past year, the Israeli occupation has been brutally targeting Palestinian populations. Military operations waged by Israel in the West Bank camps threaten the future of Palestinian refugees and their homes.

A young girl stands in the doorway of a house that is partially destroyed. Directly in front of her, the street is reduced to large piles of rubble. — A young Palestinian girl in her home in Tulkarem.

The National Action factions declared a state of mourning for the city of Tulkarem following these massacres in both Tulkarem and Nur Shams refugee camps. The nine martyrs were mourned, seven of them from Tulkarem camp, another from Nur Shams camp and another in the town of Gavin. They added: “An Israeli warplane targeted Palestinians in the Tulkarm camp, paying no attention to children playing or being near their homes, nor to women.”

A young man is lying dead on a red stretcher on the ground. There is a crowd around him, including one woman with her back turned to the camera kneeling over him with her hands on his chest. — Farewell to one of the young martyrs.

The names of the martyrs are Mrs. Khawla Abdo, Baraa Al Attar, Fathi Salem, Mahmin Al- Akhras, Mahmoud Amar, Ahmed Amarna, Omran Haroun, Qusay Okasha, Jumaa Salem.

A woman is raising her arms to the sky, looking devastated. Several people stand behind her, including an oler woman who is crying. They are standing in a city street. — The sister of the martyr Fathi Salem mourns her brother.

According to the Palestinian Health Organization and the Shirin Abu Akila Observatory, the number of Palestinian martyrs in the West Bank since October 7 has reached 835 martyrs, 196 of which in Tulkarem.

Another day of grief in Tulkarem refugee camp

16 November 2023 | International Solidarity Movement | Tulkarem

By. Diana Khwaelid

Hundreds of Palestinians mourned the 7 martyrs who were killed by the Israeli occupation forces last Tuesday, November 14, in Tulkarem refugee camp: 2 of them were killed by Special Forces, 3 of them were killed while targeting homes with drones and others were killed by Israeli snipers.During the storming of the camp last Tuesday evening, the camp witnessed the almost complete destruction of roads and streets: something which has not witnessed for a long time. A state of sadness and fear prevails in the atmosphere of the camp after a real massacre was committed, which claimed the lives of 7 Palestinians in less than 12 hours.The seven martyrs are: Mahmoud Hadadida (25), Hazem al-Hosri (29), Saeed Abu Tahoun (24), Jihad Ghanem(27), Musab Gul (21), Walid Musaie (26) and Abdul Jarban (33).
Palestinians could not mourn the seven martyrs the next day after the storming because of the destroyed roads, and the camp residents postponed the date of the funeral of the 7 martyrs to the day after, November 16, so that they could repair the destroyed roads as much as the place.
The bodies of the 7 martyrs were transported from the hospital (AL Shaheed Thabit Thabit) in the city. The crowd arrived at the camp on foot, repeating the words of strength and national unity denouncing the crimes of the occupation until they reached the camp.
Each body was taken to his family home for a final farewell by family and friends.
After that, they were transferred to a youth Hall of the UN International Agency for a farewell by the families of the camp residents and friends and to pray for them for the last time, as there was not enough space to pray for them inside the mosque in the camp.
Residents of the camp carried the bodies of the 7 Palestinian martyrs with echoing words denouncing the crimes of the Israeli occupation against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, the number of martyrs since October 7 has reached more than 200 in the West Bank. In the city of Tulkarem alone there have been 36 martyrs since October 7.

Killing young people of the next generation in the West Bank

The body of a martyr being carried through the street by a group of residents.

27 October 2023 | International Solidarity Movement | Jenin

By Diana Khwaelid

The Israeli occupation has not only targeted unarmed young people, children, and women in Gaza. The Israeli occupation’s crimes also continue in the West Bank, especially targeting young people and children alike.

On Friday night Oct 27th around 1.30AM, the Israeli occupation forces stormed the city of Jenin and the Jenin camp with military vehicles Jeeps and a D9 bulldozer.

Palestinian youths came out to confront the occupation forces after they learned of the Israeli occupation forces storming both the city of Jenin and the camp.

3 Palestinians were killed, including the 17-year-old Palestinian child, Jawad Turki, from the city of Jenin. An Israeli bullet pierced his chest, after which he was taken to the hospital for treatment but did not survive his injuries.

The 25-year-old Palestinian youth Acer Awaad from Jenin camp and the young man Abdullah Abu Al-Haija from al-Yamoun village, one of the villages near Jenin City, were also killed, leaving 3 martyrs in less than 12 hours.

Hundreds of Palestinians participated in the funeral of the three martyrs. Palestinians chanted expressions of anger and national unity during the funeral, and the families of the martyrs took a last farewell look before they were to be buried later in the Martyrs Cemetery in the camp.

A crowd of people walking through the street, as a part of the funeral procession.

The body of the young man, Mohammed Qabha, from the village Tora, one of the villages near the city of Jenin, was buried, after he died as a result of his injuries from about a week ago. He was injured during a sit-in for the people of Jenin which was organized a solidarity demonstration with Gaza. The martyr Muhammad Qabha was a person with special needs, as he was deaf and non-verbal.

The occupation did not stop at the killing of Palestinian-American journalist, Shirin Abu Aqleh. The Israeli occupation forces also destroyed and bulldozed the Main Street of the camp, which was the site of her murder and damaged the memorial symbol of her.

The location of the Shireen Abu Akleh memorial on the street where she was killed. The road has been torned up by D9 Caterpilla bulldozers.

The crimes of the Israeli occupation continue both in Gaza and the West Bank, and the Palestinians have no power in the face of the occupation. The situation is tense everywhere in Palestine and the occupation opens fire on Palestinian youth and children without warning.

During the 20 days since the start of the Palestinian / Israeli war on Gaza, more than 110 Palestinians, including children and young people, have been killed in cities and areas in the West Bank.

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?”