West bank devastation continues! Israeli army orders demolition of 17 Palestinian homes

The Israeli army has ordered the demolition of 17 Palestinian houses in the Noor Shams refugee camp, which is in eastern Tulkarm. The Palestinian Information Center reports that this raises the number of houses recently demolished or scheduled for demolition in the camp to 28. The action has drawn outrage from residents and human rights activists.

Local government official Nihad Al-Shawish disclosed that the Israeli government intends to raze these residences under the justification of building a new military road in the Al-Manshiya neighborhood. "The mass demolition of homes is dramatically changing the geography and topography of Noor Shams camp and evicting families who have lived here for years," Al-Shawish said.

Families given just hours to evacuate

The Israeli military allegedly provided residents with just two and a half hours to evacuate their property, with the notices being served at 11:00 a.m. local time. Israeli troops have raided homes, arrested residents, and destroyed public and private property since they began operations in the Noor Shams camp 25 days ago. The camp is still under tight military siege, isolating families from basic necessities like food, water, medicine, and baby formula.

Thousands forced out during military campaigns

In areas such as Al-Maslakh, Al-Manshiya, Jabal As-Saliheen, and Al-Nasir, more than 9,000 locals—elderly people and sick individuals among them—have been forced out of their homes by Israeli troops. Many observers opine that Israel's large-scale military campaign in the northern West Bank is meant to achieve ethnic cleansing of Palestinian refugee camps.

Wider background of the campaign

This raid started on January 21 in the Jenin refugee camp and has since spread to Tulkarm city, Noor Shams camp, and Al-Far'a refugee camp. The critics say these operations are all part of a larger plan to drive Palestinians out of their homes in the name of security measures.