IOF carry out largest demolition assault; 16 Tulkarm homes destroyed
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Palestinian authorities report that tens of thousands of Palestinians in refugee camps across the occupied West Bank have been forced to flee their homes.
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Israeli forces demolish buildings in the Tulkarm refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, as the Israeli military continues its operation in the area on Tuesday, February 18, 2025. (AP)
In their largest operation since launching its assault on the northern occupied West Bank, Israeli occupation forces began demolishing 16 homes in the Tulkarm refugee camp on Tuesday.
Israeli bulldozers and excavators commenced the demolitions as occupation forces deployed on foot across several neighborhoods of the camp, where the sounds of live gunfire could be heard.
Meanwhile, the Tulkarm governorate reported that the number of displaced residents from the Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps is estimated to be between 15,000 and 16,000 since the start of the assault on the northern West Bank more than 20 days ago.
After forcibly displacing the Palestinian population of Tulkarm refugee camp, the israelis have begun demolishing their homes with bulldozers pic.twitter.com/XnitG2hTCJ
— Sarah Wilkinson (@swilkinsonbc) February 18, 2025
"Israel" has intensified its offensive on Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps, carrying out further destruction of roads and infrastructure while demolishing, detonating, and setting homes ablaze.
Israeli forces continue to keep the Jabara checkpoint, at the southern entrance of Tulkarm, closed for the 11th consecutive day, effectively isolating the city from nearby villages, towns, and the rest of the West Bank.
The occupation forces fired illumination flares over Tulkarm camp amid sounds of heavy gunfire and the deployment of additional military reinforcements.
Meanwhile, the siege on the Nur Shams camp persists, with Israeli forces systematically destroying its infrastructure, conducting extensive raids on homes, vandalizing their contents, demolishing and bulldozing houses in several neighborhoods, and blocking the entrances of homes and shops with barricades and debris.
Palestinian authorities report that tens of thousands of Palestinians in refugee camps across the occupied West Bank have been forced to flee their homes amid the weeks-long Israeli military offensive that has destroyed houses and severely damaged vital infrastructure in densely populated areas.
📹 جرافة الاحتلال الإسرائيلي تهدم منازل المواطنين في مخيم #طولكرم pic.twitter.com/sAXP5ehcxH
— ساحات - عاجل 🇵🇸 (@Sa7atPlBreaking) February 18, 2025
Israeli forces launched their operation in the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank on January 21, deploying hundreds of troops and bulldozers to demolish homes and tear up roads, effectively driving nearly all residents out of the camp.
The Israeli military claims the operation aims to target Resistance groups in the occupied West Bank. However, the offensive has since expanded to other camps, particularly Tulkarm and the nearby Nur Shams camp, both of which have suffered extensive devastation.
These camps, originally established for the descendants of Palestinian refugees displaced during the 1948 Nakba (catastrophe) which led to the establishment of the Israeli occupation entity, have frequently been subjected to Israeli military raids. However, the current operation—launched just as a ceasefire was reached in Gaza—has been conducted on an unprecedented scale.
According to Palestinian Authority figures, approximately 17,000 people have now fled the Jenin refugee camp, leaving it nearly deserted, while around 6,000—two-thirds of the population—have left Nur Shams, and another 10,000 have been displaced from Tulkarm camp.
Israeli raids have resulted in the destruction of dozens of homes, the dismantling of extensive road networks, and the cutting off of essential services, including water and electricity.
Read more: West Bank sees largest expulsion of Palestinians since 1967: Report
