More than 90 percent of the residents of the Tulkarem and Nur Shams camps in the northern occupied West Bank have been displaced by Israeli forces, a Palestinian official said on Sunday.
Muhannad Matar, director of public relations and media in Tulkarem municipality, told The New Arab‘s Arabic-language sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the displacement in Tulkarem was unprecedented, though precise numbers on those displaced and the damage inflicted by Israeli forces is not yet available.Â
A figure of over 90 percent displaced equates to more than 20,000 people.
Matar said conditions in the camps have become unbearable under Israeli siege, with Israel having besieged Tulkarem for 21 days and Nur Shams for eight days. Israeli forces have destroyed roads with bulldozers, and continuously cut electricity and water to both camps, Matar said.
Those forced out of their homes in Tulkarem have sought refuge with relatives, while others have been given shelter by local authorities.
Relief and repair efforts by the municipality were hindered by the by Israeli forces, who prevented their entry to the camps, according to Matar.
Activist Nihaya al-Jundi described the conditions of those still living in the camps as “tragic”, with livelihoods severely affected by the Israeli assault. Schools and businesses have been forced to close amid the Israeli onslaught, while vital services like hospitals are placed under strain.
Al-Jundi said Israeli forces are systematically storming houses and destroying them, with soldiers sleeping in the homes of displaced Palestinians.
Local sources told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian groups have been concentrated in the Nur Shams camp, while the Tulkarem camp has experience continuous gunfire and explosions.
Meanwhile, Jenin has been under Israeli siege and assault for 27 days.
Israel Since the beginning of ‘Operation Iron Wall’ on 21 January, Israeli forces have killed at least 53 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
The assault comes amid growing calls from Israeli hardliners for the annexation of the West Bank — a move that many on the Israeli right hope to see happen with the support of the Trump administration in Washington.
