As the winter arrives and communities are frantically searching for shelter, Israeli forces have begun demolishing dozens of buildings in the northern occupied West Bank that house Palestinian families.
On Wednesday, Israeli military bulldozers and cranes slammed through the Nur Shams refugee camp’s residential blocks, flattening about 100 homes. An AFP news agency journalist at the scene reported that as camp residents watched from a distance as thick clouds of dust rose over the camp.
Recommended Stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
Mutaz Mahr, whose building was one of the ones that were destroyed, said, “It is deeply painful to be torn away from our homes, our neighborhoods, and our memories.”
He told AFP, “The occupation uses every means to wear us down and exert pressure on us,” referring to Israel.
As the bulldozers advanced, he said, “Our home is dear to us, the memories are dear to us, the family, the neighbors, and the good people are dear to us.” Our grandparents were displaced the first time, and now it’s the second time.
After being driven out of the camp, Mahr claimed that he and about 25 other relatives were residing in a 100-square-foot (120-yard) apartment.
The Israeli military claimed that the demolitions were part of a military operation aimed at Palestinian resistance groups, a claim that could not be independently verified. Palestinians who live there and support human rights organizations claim that the destruction constitutes forced displacement and collective punishment.
Before the most recent raid, Nur Shams’ popular committee member Nihaya al-Jendi claimed the volume of displacement had already reached crisis levels.
More than 1,500 camp families are still unable to come back today, Jendi told AFP. “This is a major catastrophe unfolding before the eyes of the world, a genuine humanitarian disaster for Palestinian refugees.”
Nur Shams, Tulkarem, and Jenin are just a few of the refugee camps Israel claims to have attacked in the northern West Bank earlier this year.
According to Human Rights Watch, which analyzed satellite imagery, at least 850 homes have been destroyed or seriously damaged in each of the three camps. The destruction, according to the group, appears to be intended to “clear buffer” areas and permanently reshape the camps’ urban fabric, putting more pressure on Israeli control.
More settlements have been approved.
Israel is moving forward with the expansion of illegal settlements as refugee homes are reduced to rubble. According to Israeli media, Israeli authorities approved plans for 126 settler housing units in the Sa-Nur outpost in the northern West Bank on Wednesday.
According to a report from Channel 7, the High Planning Council approved a detailed plan that would allow illegal settlers to retake Sa-Nur, which was evacuated in 2005.
In accordance with then-Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s unilateral disengagement plan, which removed settlements from Gaza and four sites in the northern West Bank, the outpost was destroyed. When Israel’s parliament repealed the disengagement law through a bill known as the “Cancellation of the Disengagement Law,” that policy was changed in March 2024.
The new strategy, according to Channel 7, could become effective in two months.
Israeli actions against the UN
Israel is putting more pressure on the UN to deal with Palestinian refugees as a result of the demolitions and settlement approvals.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ statement on Wednesday criticized Israel’s decision to close UNRWA-owned facilities with no electricity or water.
The spokesperson added that the measure would “further impede” the agency’s ability to function. UNRWA, its property, and assets are still subject to the terms of the Convention, according to UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who noted that UNRWA is an “integral” component of the UN system.
The decision, according to UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini, was part of a “systematic campaign to discredit UNRWA and thereby obstruct” its efforts to assist Palestinian refugees.
A law was passed in Israel’s parliament in 2024 that forbids officials from speaking to the agency and prohibits its operation. Despite Israel’s annexation claims, UNRWA continues to operate in occupied East Jerusalem, which the UN regards as occupied territory.
Source: Aljazeera
Leave a Reply