TULKAREM, (PIC)
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) notified on Wednesday Palestinian citizens of its intent to demolish 17 homes in Nur Shams refugee camp, east of Tulkarem, bringing the total number of homes demolished or slated for demolition to 28.
Local official Nihad al-Shawish reported that the IOF intends to demolish these homes in al-Manshiya neighborhood at the pretext of opening a new dirt road through the camp for military purposes.
The mass demolition of homes in Nur Shams camp to create new routes is fundamentally altering the camp’s landscape and geography, coming at the cost of dozens of homes that have stood for many years, according to Shawish.
The Israeli army gave the owners two and a half hours, starting at 11:00 a.m. today, to enter the camp and collect their belongings from their homes.
Several days ago, the Israeli army demolished 11 homes in the camp under the pretext of cutting a path through the camp starting from its main square to al-Manshiya neighborhood.
Since it started its operation in Nur Shams camp 25 days ago, the Israeli army has been raiding homes, kidnaping and displacing local residents, and wreaking havoc on public and private property.
The Israeli army also maintains a tight siege on the camp, depriving the families who remained in their homes of food, water, medications and baby formula.
Over 9,000 residents, including elderly and sick people, were forced by the Israeli army to leave their homes in the camp, mainly in the neighborhoods of al-Maslakh, al-Manshiya, Jabel as-Salihin, and an-Nasser.
Israel’s large-scale military operation in the northern West Bank is widely believed to be aimed at ethnically cleansing the Palestinian people from their areas, especially refugee camps.
The operation started in the Jenin refugee camp on January 21 and has since expanded to Tulkarem City, the refugee camps of Tulkarem and Nur Shams, and al-Fari’ah refugee camps.
