‘Political Decision’ – Israel Escalates Home Demolitions in West Bank
Home demolitions have surged in recent weeks, with 106 homes and 104 other buildings destroyed in Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps, according to Tulkarm’s governor.
Israel has continued to demolish homes in the Tulkarm refugee camp as the number of displaced Palestinians rises to more than 40,000 since the military operation in the occupied West Bank began in January.
According to Israeli rights group B’Tselem, Israeli offensives in Tulkarm, Nur Shams, and Jenin camps have led to the displacement of tens of thousands.
Paramedics help a Palestinian woman carry her belongings as an Israeli soldier enforces a displacement order on a house in the Jenin refugee camp, in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday.
: [Raneen Sawafta/Reuters]
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— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) July 9, 2025
Malik Lutfi, 51, a father of six, told the Reuters news agency that he was forced to contemplate which of his family’s belongings to salvage in the moments he was given while Israeli forces destroyed homes in the Tulkarm camp.
“They kicked us out six months ago and we are still out,” he reportedly said, adding that when going back, “you try to bring anything you can, but in two hours with only our hands, you cannot bring many things.”
‘Ghost Camp’
Lutfi currently rents a small room in the nearby city of Tulkarm. However, since he has no access to his electronic repair shop in the camp, he has no income to pay the rent.
Reuters cites an Israeli army spokesperson as having said on Tuesday that the army “requires” the demolition of buildings in order to target resistance groups in the area.
Israeli military excavators demolished homes in two refugee camps in the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarm on Monday. The Israeli army said it would demolish 104 more buildings in the Tulkarm camp this week. pic.twitter.com/L2DAJYUIt9
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) July 8, 2025
This allows the army “to operate freely and move unhindered in the area,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Tulkarm’s governor Abdullah Kamil told Reuters that demolitions have surged in recent weeks with 106 homes and 104 other buildings destroyed Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps.
Kamil said that what is occurring in Tulkarm “is an Israeli political decision” and “has nothing to do with security,” adding “There is nothing left in the camp, it has become a ghost camp.”
Replicating Gaza ‘Tactics’
Shai Parnes, public outreach director at B’Tselem, told Reuters that in the northern West Bank, “Israel has begun replicating tactics and combat doctrines honed in its current offensive on Gaza.”
Parnes said this includes “increased … widespread and deliberate destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, and forced displacement of civilians from areas designated by the military as combat zones.”
Israeli occupation forces demolish Palestinian homes in the village of Shuqba, west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank! pic.twitter.com/iNsCWSMuFz
— Motasem A Dalloul (@AbujomaaGaza) July 9, 2025
Launched in January, Israel’s operation in the northern West Bank has been one of the biggest since the Second Intifada over 20 years ago, this time involving heavy battle tanks, in addition to drones and helicopters, the report noted.
Israeli government ministers have reportedly denied that the operation “has any wider purpose than battling militant groups,” according to Reuters. The Israeli army, the report stated, claimed it was following international law “and targeting militancy.”
Settlement Expansion
Additionally, Israeli far-right politicians have repeatedly called for Israel to annexe the West Bank.
In May, the Israeli government approved the construction of 22 new illegal settlements in the West Bank, the largest expansion since the Oslo Accords, according to the Israeli settlement watchdog, Peace Now.
Israel Approves Construction of 22 New Illegal Settlements in West Bank
The approval of the settlements, considered illegal under international law, is “the largest expansion since Oslo,” with all situated “deep in areas slated for a Palestinian state,” Peace Now said in a statement.
“At a time when both the Israeli public and the entire world is demanding an immediate end to the war, the government is making clear—again and without restraint—that it prefers deepening the occupation and advancing de facto annexation over pursuing peace,” the statement added.
(PC, Agencies)
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