Tag: Tulkarem Camp

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.

 

Another crime committed in Tulkarem camp by the Occupation Forces

Several Israeli military vehicles driving down the street in Tulkarem
Several Israeli military vehicles driving down the street in Tulkarem

14 November 2023 | International Solidarity Movement | Tulkarem

By Diana Khwaelid

Another crime perpetrated by the Israeli occupation in the Tulkarem refugee camp. The blood of the four Palestinians who were killed about a week ago had not yet dried up before the Israeli Occupation Forces committed a new crime that claimed the lives of 7 Palestinian civilians.

On the evening of last Tuesday Nov 14th, the Israeli occupation forces stormed the city of Tulkarem. Around 10pm Israeli special forces tried to infiltrate the Tulkarem refugee camp as well but initially failed after being met with resistance by Palestinian youths.

Dozens of Israeli military vehicles including troop carriers and D9 bulldozers, stormed the city of Tulkarem and the camp, during which the IOF bulldozed the main roads connecting the camp. The Balawneh neighbourhood was especially hard hit. The IOF also destroyed and demolished the memorial symbol at the entrance to the camp which is dedicated to the two martyrs Samer Al-Shafi’I and Hamza Al-Khoshafqi.

A street in Tulkarem that has been severely damaged. Several adults and children are walking around.
A street in Tulkarem that has been severely damaged
Another street that has been torn up by a D9 bulldozer.
Another street that has been torn up by a D9 bulldozer

7 Palestinian civilians were killed in the 13 hours the military operation lasted. 2 of them were killed by Israeli Special Forces and 4 of them were killed in the bombing of the 3 residential buildings, including one 3 storey building. Dozens of civilian cars belonging to the camp residents were also destroyed.

Two houses whose fronts have collapsed from bombings
Two houses whose fronts have collapsed from bombings
The aftermath of the bombing of a residential area. Several residents are on the ground taking in what has happened.
The aftermath of the bombing of a residential area

Electricity was cut off from the camp residents and the water network was destroyed in the first hours of the invasion. The Israeli occupation forces prevented medical staff from performing their work, refusing to let them enter the camp to transport the injured to the hospital or even provide first aid. During this, press crews were targeted with tear gas bombs.

14 continuous hours of anxiety and fear experienced by the residents of Tulkarem city and in particular the Tulkarem refugee camp.

Rubble filling the streets of Tulkarem, in the background is a house that has been bombed.
Rubble filling the streets of Tulkarem camp where several houses where bombed
Several residents walking down an unpaved street after the invasion
Several residents walking down an unpaved street after the invasion

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.

A new massacre in Nour Shams camp, Tulkarm

 

19 October 2023 | International Solidarity Movement | Tulkarm

By Diana Khwaelid

The Israeli occupation forces launched a major military assault on the city of Tulkarm, especially on the Nur Shams refugee camp. A curfew was imposed throughout the city for at least 30 continuous hours, and Israeli snipers were deployed in more locations within the city, as well as in villages adjacent to the city and camps, especially the Nur Shams camp.

On 19-10-2023, at 3:00 in the morning, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) stormed the Nur Shams refugee camp in huge numbers, with dozens of military jeeps, bulldozers and a D9 caterpillar. The camp’s sirens were activated, as camp residents woke up to the sound of gunfire and exploding bombs. Residents of the camp, especially children, were woken up by huge explosions that shook the camp.

There were strong clashes between Palestinian fighters who tried to defend the camp and the occupation soldiers, which lasted for around 30 hours, after which the Israeli occupation forces withdrew from the camp completely, on Friday morning at about 7:00 AM.

The Israeli occupation forces completely destroyed the main entrance to the camp and the infrastructure of the camp using one of its military vehicles, the armoured bulldozer type D9. The IOF also destroyed dozens of civilian cars belonging to the camp’s residents, 7 Palestinian houses were bombed using drones, some of which were destroyed and part of them were partially damaged.

 

The IOF also destroyed water networks and sewage pipes, and electricity and communication lines were completely cut off on the camp since the first hours of the invasion. There was no good communication between the camp residents and the outside, which exacerbated the problem of calling ambulances to enter the camp and transfer the wounded.

According to medical sources , 13 Palestinians were killed. 2 of them were not residents of the camp. 7 of them under the age of 18 and 2 of them were 10 years old. According to the Red Crescent, at least 40 people were injured, including by live bullets and shrapnels produced during the firing of missiles by Israeli drones, which targeted homes belonging to Palestinian civilians.

The Israeli occupation forces also obstructed the movement of medical personnel and ambulances, and hindered them from moving and entering the camp to transport the wounded to the hospital. The IOF identified members of the medical staff and obstructed the movement of journalists attempting to report on the raid. At least one injured Palestinian who was inside the ambulance was arrested on his way to the hospital.

7 Palestinians were killed  while they were near a house targeted by a drone. 5 of them were children. The Israeli occupation claims that it was targeting Palestinian militants, but all those reported killed were unarmed civilians.

Hundreds of Palestinians from the camp and from nearby towns participated in the funerals of the Palestinian martyrs who were killed in cold blood during this assault launched by the Israeli occupation forces on the camp. Funeral attendees raised the Palestinian flag, and chanted patriotic words expressing national unity, anger and condemnation of the IOF’s continuing bloody crimes against the Palestinian people, whether in Gaza, the West Bank or Nur Shams camp.

After the assault, the number of martyrs of the city of Tulkarm rises to 22 since the start of the war on Gaza on 7-10-2023.  81 Palestinians were martyred in the West Bank during this period.

This is the fifth invasion on the camp in recent months, but the inhabitants of Nur Shams are still ready to sacrifice their lives to defend their homes.

 

He was killed while holding the flag of Palestine

14 October, 2023 | International Solidarity Movement | Tulkarm

By Diana Khwaelid

The martyr Qassim Hakam Qassim, 24, was one of the young people who answered the call to participate in a mass demonstration in solidarity with Gaza in the city of Tulkarm, in the West Bank.
The martyr Qassim, who grew up in the Tulkarm refugee camp and who has 6 siblings, did not neglect the blood of the martyrs who were killed for Palestine and came out to express solidarity with the people of Gaza, holding the flag of Palestine.

Since the beginning of the demonstration, which took place on Friday 13th of October 2023, Qassim tried to place the flag of Palestine close to the Sanaoz Israeli checkpoint, near the apartheid wall, to affirm the existence of the Palestinian people and their right to reclaim the lands occupied and controlled by the Israeli occupation.
Qassim did not survive the bullet of an Israeli sniper who was watching him from the very beginning. He was hit directly in the head area and died instantly.


An atmosphere of anger and sadness prevailed in the Tulkarm refugee camp, for the funeral of the body of the young man. His family and friends took one last look at him.
He was prayed for at the Al-Salam mosque in the camp, as Palestinians chanted angrily, condemning the continuing murders committed by the Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank and Gaza.

Qassim’s message is not gone: other young Palestinians will follow his path. The message and the voice of liberation do not die when the body dies.