Palestinian residents of the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution expressed shock and despair Friday on the final result of an Israeli raid on their refugee camp: bullet-riddled partitions, destroyed properties and piles of concrete blocks.
“We’re one other Gaza, particularly within the refugee camps,” mentioned Nayef Alaajmeh, a resident of the Nur Shams camp within the metropolis of Tulkarem, as he surveyed the harm following a devastating Israeli raid on the camp that ended late on Thursday.
On Wednesday, Israeli forces launched a widespread “counter-terrorism” operation in a number of West Financial institution cities and refugee camps, together with Nur Shams.
No less than 19 Palestinians have been killed up to now within the raids, in line with the Israeli navy and the Palestinian well being ministry in Ramallah. The vast majority of these killed have been militants.
The Israeli navy initially despatched bulldozers to tear up tarmac streets, sending clouds of mud over the focused areas.
AFP footage confirmed camp residents strolling cautiously by means of streets affected by burnt tyres and different particles.
Municipality staff and residents have been already at work attempting to salvage what they might.
Many residents in contrast the devastation to that in Gaza, the place almost 11 months of battle have left a lot of the Palestinian territory destroyed.
“Right now, we’re identical to Gaza, battle or no battle… (however) we’re steadfast and the folks of Gaza are additionally steadfast,” mentioned Nabil Abu Shala, one other resident of Nur Shams camp.
Fuad Kanuh, who runs a store on the bottom ground of the constructing the place he lives, mentioned gasoline cylinders exploded throughout the raid, apparently hit by explosives.
Virtually the whole lot within the store is now charred and blackened by soot, however that didn’t cease Kanuh from pulling out what he may — an air-con unit and a tv hanging from a wall.
The Israeli navy is formally forbidden from getting into West Financial institution cities and refugee camps, that are autonomous zones underneath the management of the Palestinian Authority.
– ‘Strain on resistance’ –
Nur Shams has however been a daily goal of Israeli raids.
Members of armed teams within the camp now not put on face masks to hide their identities, as they contemplate themselves to be “on the trail to martyrdom”.
They’re usually focused by Israeli armoured automobiles, snipers or drones.
Violence within the West Financial institution has soared because the battle in Gaza erupted on October 7 after the Palestinian militant group Hamas attacked Israel.
However even earlier than that, the West Financial institution, occupied by Israel since 1967, was the scene of standard violence.
Within the 10 months previous October 7, the United Nations recorded 200 Palestinians killed by Israeli troopers and settlers within the West Financial institution, which on the time was the best toll throughout a interval of that size because it started compiling such information in 2005.
Since October 7, round 640 Palestinians have been killed within the territory, in line with the UN.
Though the loss of life toll doesn’t evaluate with that in Gaza, which the well being ministry there says has crossed 40,600, the West Financial institution isn’t formally at battle.
Three million Palestinians stay within the West Financial institution, in addition to half one million Israeli Jews in settlements thought of unlawful underneath worldwide legislation.
“The occupation forces have destroyed the infrastructure and vandalised the roads, property and vehicles,” militant Abu Mohammed instructed AFP.
“They even demolished and vandalised the mosque.”
In Al-Faraa refugee camp within the close by metropolis of Tubas, Mohammed Mansur, a member of the central committee of the communist Individuals’s Get together, attended a funeral of 4 Palestinians killed on Wednesday throughout the Israeli raid.
“Right here too they’ve carried out many massacres and bombings to place strain on the resistance,” Mansur mentioned.
“They need the folks to show in opposition to the resistance, however that won’t occur,” he mentioned, as our bodies of these killed, wrapped in Palestinian flags, have been laid to relaxation.
Earlier than their burial, the our bodies have been carried by means of the camp in a funeral procession, with mourners strolling on the streets freshly torn up by Israeli bulldozers.
Because the procession superior, younger males brandishing automated rifles fired into the air.
