DaysofPal- The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) carried out large-scale demolitions of Palestinian homes in the Nur Shams refugee camp, east of Tulkarem in the northern West Bank, for a second consecutive day on Thursday, local officials and rights groups reported.
Bulldozers targeted the Al-Maslakh neighborhood as part of a plan to demolish 25 residential buildings comprising more than 100 housing units.
The homes had been evacuated following an Israeli military operation in the camp that began on December 14, 2025.
Tulkarem Governor Abdullah Kamil condemned the demolitions, calling them a continuation of crimes against residents of refugee camps.
He described the policy as a form of collective punishment that violates international law and human rights standards.
Kamil urged the international community and human rights organizations to intervene, warning that the demolitions are exacerbating the residents’ suffering through forced displacement and homelessness.
The demolitions follow a ruling by an Israeli court on Wednesday that approved the destruction of the 25 buildings, despite official acknowledgment that the structures are civilian properties not used for military purposes.
The Arab legal rights group Adalah reported that the Israeli Supreme Court rejected a petition challenging the demolition orders.
The court’s decision relied on classified materials provided by the Israeli prosecution in coordination with military intelligence, which were not disclosed to the petitioners or their legal counsel.
Adalah said the ruling reflects a broader pattern of judicial approval for large-scale demolitions in refugee camps across the northern West Bank, often based on secret evidence and generalized security claims that cannot be effectively contested.
The group warned that such practices reinforce forced displacement and deny residents the right to return, in violation of international humanitarian law.
This marks the fourth petition Adalah has filed in recent months against mass demolition orders in Jenin, Nur Shams, and Tulkarem refugee camps.
In previous cases, the Supreme Court declined to intervene, ruling that the demolitions fall within the authority of the Israeli occupation forces.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=70908
