Tulkarem: The Israeli army forced Palestinians on Wednesday to evacuate a residential neighborhood east of the Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem in the northern West Bank to conduct military exercises, local sources said. The army ordered Palestinian residents of the Jabal al-Salihin neighborhood to leave the area, head south and only return after 3 p.m. local time Wednesday, the sources said.

According to Anadolu Agency, the military also ordered residents to open their home windows as it prepared to conduct military exercises in the area. A map of the homes targeted was also distributed by the army, according to what activists shared on social media.

Meanwhile, the Israeli army dispatched new military reinforcements, including vehicles and heavy bulldozers, into Nur Shams camp, which the Israeli army has kept under a tight siege for months. The camp has seen widespread destruction of infrastructure, and roads during recent Israeli raids during which hundreds of homes were demolished or burned, according to local sources.

Israeli forces also continue to close the entrances to the camp and its surroundings, prevent residents from reaching it and fire live rounds at those who try to enter, the same sources said. The Israeli army launched a large-scale military operation in the northern West Bank last year targeting the Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams camps.

Since Oct. 8, 2023, at least 1,169 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank by Israeli army fire and occupiers, while 12,666 others have been wounded, about 23,000 arrested, and 33,000 displaced, according to official Palestinian figures.