Displaced Palestinians hold protest against Israeli army demolition of homes

About a hundred displaced Palestinians protested Wednesday in the occupied West Bank to oppose the systematic demolition of homes carried out by the Israeli army in refugee camps in the Palestinian territory.

Dozens of houses and buildings have been demolished by Israeli troops in recent months in the twin camps of Nour Shams and Tulkarem, in the northern West Bank, and more are expected to be destroyed in the coming weeks.

Israel says these evictions, which have increased sharply since the start of the war in Gaza and even more since the "Iron Wall" operation began in January in the north of the occupied territory, are intended to suppress "Palestinian armed groups" in these camps.

More than 40,000 evictions since January

According to U.N. figures, attacks by settlers or Israeli soldiers have displaced at least 40,000 Palestinians in the West Bank since the beginning of 2025.

"Today, residents are demanding to be allowed to return to the camps and an end to the attacks and the destruction of their homes," Nihaya al-Jundi, a displaced woman attending the gathering in Tulkarem, told AFP.

The protesters also called for support from the Palestinian Authority based in Ramallah and UN agencies. Women and children held signs calling for an end to the demolitions and for financial aid for the displaced. "The protest is to claim legitimate human and social rights, such as ongoing humanitarian aid, housing, medical care and medicines [...]," Fayçal Salama, head of the Tulkarem camp's popular committee, told AFP.

But Oum Moataz Abou Shala, displaced from Nour Shams, mainly wants to go home. "We don't want food aid, donations, caravans or social assistance. We want to return to our land in Nour Shams."

The Israeli army announced this week the upcoming demolition of 104 buildings in Tulkarem camp, as part of the military operation launched in January in the West Bank. The campaign started with an attack in Jenin (north), a historic stronghold of Palestinian fighters, and expanded to other cities, including Tulkarem and Nablus.

At least 980 Palestinians have been killed and nearly 7,000 wounded by settlers or Israeli soldiers since October 2023, according to Palestinian Authority data, in addition to more than 17,500 arrests.