The Israeli military has launched the next phase of its "Iron Wall" operation in the northern West Bank, informing residents of two refugee camps that it intends to demolish around 100 structures, the army and Palestinian media said Friday.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, approximately 60 buildings are slated for demolition in the Tulkarm refugee camp and about 40 in the nearby Nur Shams camp. The two camps have been a focus of ongoing Israeli military activity aimed at dismantling what officials describe as entrenched terror networks.
Tulkarm Residents evacuating their homes ahead of demolition
Footage shared by Palestinians showed Israeli soldiers delivering demolition notices to residents on Thursday night. Additional videos appeared to show chaotic scenes as residents rushed to return to the camps to retrieve belongings ahead of the expected demolitions.
Israel’s defense establishment said the operation is intended to create safe access routes for military forces operating in the area. Similar demolitions were carried out recently in the Jenin refugee camp, also to clear roads for military use, following approval from Israel’s High Court.
The IDF said Palestinians will not be permitted to rebuild on the demolished sites. “We are determined to bring about a significant and lasting change,” Israeli security officials said.
Two IDF battalions are currently operating in Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur Shams, where the army says it is working to neutralize terror groups based in the camps.
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The stepped-up operation comes weeks after Israel introduced a series of eased restrictions for Palestinians in Tulkarm and Jenin. At the same time, the military expanded operations in the Balata refugee camp in Nablus, where last week troops arrested Islam Qara'an, who Israeli authorities say was leading a local terror cell.