Israeli Bulldozers Raze Palestinian Homes in West Bank Camps

The Israeli military has declared its plans to persist with the demolition of additional structures in the Tulkarem camps this week, as part of a continuing offensive against Palestinian camps in the Occupied West Bank.

Israeli authorities assert that these camps are significant bases for Palestinian resistance factions that oppose the Zionist administration.

A resident reported returning to the camp only to discover their home had been demolished, claiming that no prior notification or communication had been provided.

The Israeli offensive commenced with an operation in Jenin, located in the northern West Bank, in January and swiftly expanded to encompass other cities, such as Tulkarem.

According to statistics released by the United Nations, the Israeli authorities have displaced 40,000 residents from their homes since the beginning of January.

Since the onset of hostilities on October 7, 2023, Israel has escalated military actions in Gaza while also intensifying its operations in Palestinian territories in the West Bank, encompassing refugee camps.

Palestinians assert that the regime’s underlying objective is to annex additional land in the West Bank to further enlarge the illegal settlements.

Israeli Channel 12 reported on Friday that the West Bank has experienced a 40% increase in Israeli settlement activity since the establishment of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration at the close of 2022.

The number of settlements in the West Bank has increased from 128 to 178, coinciding with a significant uptick in the demolition of Palestinian homes.

The announcement was released merely 48 hours following a letter signed by 14 ministers from the right-wing Likud Party and Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana, urging Israeli leader Netanyahu to move forward with the immediate annexation of the occupied West Bank.

Between 2013 and 2023, the West Bank experienced a 38% increase in its settler population, according to figures provided by the Yesha Council. The number of settlers grew from 374,000 to 517,000 during this period.

Palestinian residents express concerns that the demolition of refugee camps might effectively obliterate their status as refugees, potentially jeopardizing the “right of return” to territories their ancestors were compelled to vacate in 1948 following the establishment of the Israeli state on occupied Palestinian lands.