Ramallah: Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank have resulted in the demolition of more than 1,000 Palestinian homes and the deaths of at least 55 people since January, according to two Palestinian media committees. These operations have been concentrated in three northern West Bank refugee camps: Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams.
According to Anadolu Agency, over 600 homes have been destroyed in the Jenin camp alone, with many others rendered uninhabitable. The camp's media committee described the operations as part of a prolonged 159-day military campaign involving home demolitions, road destruction, and the conversion of residential buildings into military outposts. Since the beginning of the operations, 42 Palestinians have lost their lives in Jenin, with dozens more wounded or arrested, and approximately 22,000 individuals forcibly displaced.
A separate statement from the Tulkarem media committee indicated that Israeli bulldozers have demolished 400 homes in the Tulkarem and Nur Shams camps, while more than 2,500 others have been partially damaged. The committee also reported that the army plans to demolish an additional 106 buildings, impacting over 250 housing units. At least 13 Palestinians, including a child and two women-one of whom was pregnant-have been killed in these two camps since the operations began. More than 25,000 residents have fled these camps amid what local groups describe as severe humanitarian conditions. Access to the camps remains restricted by Israeli forces, effectively turning them into "nearly lifeless zones," according to the committee.
Since the onset of Israel's conflict in Gaza on October 7, 2023, at least 986 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the West Bank due to actions by Israeli forces and settlers, as reported by the Palestinian Health Ministry. In July, the International Court of Justice deemed Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.