Israeli occupation forces inflict widespread destruction in Tulkarm refugee camp


TULKARM: The recent Israeli military offensive in the Tulkarm refugee camp has resulted in widespread destruction to infrastructure and private property, according to local sources.

Additionally, the aggression has resulted in the murder of three local Palestinians by the Israeli forces. Several others have been injured, and their transfer to hospitals was delayed due to Israeli occupation forces blocking ambulance access to the camp.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that its teams managed to treat two individuals who sustained shrapnel injuries during the raid: a five-year-old girl and a 37-year-old man.

Additionally, a young man was injured after being run over by a military jeep while walking on a street in Tulkarm. He was also transported to hospital by the Red Crescent.

According to Faisal Salama, head of the Popular Committee for Tulkarm Refugee Camp Services, the situation in the camp is dire. He reported extensive damage to streets, infrastructure, and private property, includi
ng sewage systems, water, electricity, and communications.

Salama described the camp as a disaster zone, with Israeli forces committing what he termed as war crimes. The camp has become a battlefield with indiscriminate gunfire targeting anything moving, and snipers positioned on high buildings both within the camp and in the surrounding areas.

Salama pointed out that Israeli forces have cut off the camp from its surroundings by blocking entrances and bulldozing streets, making pedestrian movement nearly impossible.

Since early this morning, Israeli bulldozers have been destroying infrastructure in various parts of the camp. Public and private properties, including homes and shops, have been deliberately destroyed. The Israeli forces also demolished the wall of the UNRWA health clinic and the perimeter wall of the Al-Awda Hall in the camp.

Meantime, the PRCS’s Director of Emergency Medical Services in Tulkarm reported ongoing obstructions from Israeli forces, which have forced them to remain at the camp’s
edges. Despite receiving reports of injuries from inside the camp, evacuations have been limited, with only the three slain individuals being transported to the hospital with the help of local volunteers.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA