The West Bank: large scale house demolitions by ongoing Israeli Forces operation are having unprecedented impact on Palestine Refugees
AMMAN,
Today, the Israeli Security Forces began the demolition of more than 16 buildings in Nur Shams Camp in Tulkarm, northern West Bank.
This comes less than a week after 11 houses were demolished in the same camp, 14 other houses in the Tulkarm Camp, and controlled detonations in Jenin Camp around a month ago that left the camp uninhabitable.
These large-scale demolitions are an alarming new pattern. They have an unprecedented impact on the Palestine Refugees and seek to permanently change the characteristics of the camps in the northern West Bank.
The demolitions are occurring in the context of the so-called Israeli Security Forces operation “Iron Wall” ongoing since 21 January in the northern West Bank – the single-longest and most destructive operation since the second intifada.
The operation has resulted in the largest displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank since the 1967 war, with some 40,000 people forced from their homes.
Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams refugee camps have been nearly emptied of their residents. With widespread destruction to civilian infrastructure including homes, people now face the prospect of having nowhere to return to.
UNRWA teams on the ground are working to meet the needs of those displaced, under the ever-shrinking humanitarian space in the West Bank. The Israeli anti-UNRWA laws which came into effect on 30 January 2025 have created a vacuum of international protective presence when it is most needed.
Notes to Editors
Nur Shams Camp was established in 1952, and its name translates from Arabic as ‘sunlight’.
For more information about the camp read the UNRWA camp profile
Background Information:
UNRWA is the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The United Nations General Assembly established UNRWA in 1949 with a mandate to provide humanitarian assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees in the Agency’s area of operations pending a just and lasting solution to their plight.
UNRWA operates in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, The Gaza Strip, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria.
Tens of thousands of Palestine refugees who lost their homes and livelihoods due to the 1948 conflict continue to be displaced and in need of support, nearly 75 years on.
UNRWA helps Palestine Refugees achieve their full potential in human development through quality services it provides in education, health care, relief and social services, protection, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance, and emergency assistance. UNRWA is funded almost entirely by voluntary contributions.
For more information, please contact:
UNRWA on Twitter:
@UNRWA
Email:
