Israel has demolished more than a dozen apartment buildings at a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, displacing tens of thousands of Palestinians since October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched an attack. The latest operation, “Operation Iron Wall,” aims to target West Bank militants with airstrikes and other tactics.
The campaign has displaced at least 40,000 Palestinians from their homes, according to the United Nations, and has left many properties damaged or destroyed. The Israeli military says its goal is to neutralize terrorist infrastructure and ensure freedom of movement within the camp area.
Governor of Tulkarem Abdullah Kamil alleges that the operation is “purely political” and designed to satisfy hardliners in the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He claims that Palestinian residents were forced to leave their homes in the middle of the night without access to basic necessities like water and electricity.
The demolitions are part of a larger military operation that has expanded from the Jenin refugee camp to other areas, including Nur Shams and El Far’a camps. The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, warns that the displacement of Palestinian communities is escalating at an alarming pace.
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa has directed urgent humanitarian aid to affected families until Israeli forces withdraw from the targeted areas.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/19/middleeast/israel-west-bank-tulkarem-intl/index.html