Israeli army withdraws from Tulkarem in northern West Bank, leaving behind destruction

By Aysar Alais

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - The Israeli army withdrew on Thursday evening along with vehicles, and bulldozers from the city of Tulkarem in the northern West Bank following a three-day military offensive in which eight Palestinians were killed.

Following the withdrawal, the Tulkarem Municipality began clearing debris left by the Israeli bulldozers in the refugee camp.

Relief teams entered the Tulkarem refugee camp and started distributing food among the affected families.

Um Mohammed Al-Ghanem, a resident of the Tulkarem refugee camp, recounted the Israeli soldiers' raid on her home and the damage they caused. She told Anadolu that around 30 soldiers stormed her home, causing extensive damage and creating a hole in one of the walls.

“The soldiers forced us to move to a neighboring house and occupied our home. Later, we heard a loud explosion and saw thick smoke. The army had blown up the neighbors' house, and the fire extended to our home,” she added.

Al-Ghanem noted that controlling the fire was difficult due to the lack of water in the camp.

On Tuesday, the Israeli army launched a military operation in Tulkarem and its refugee camp, killing 8 Palestinians, according to official Palestinian figures.

During the operation, the Israeli army also destroyed infrastructure and Palestinian homes in Tulkarem, displacing dozens of families, according to local sources.

Tension has been running high across the West Bank amid Israel’s devastating military offensive on the Gaza Strip, which has killed more than 41,100 victims, mostly women and children, since last Oct. 7.

Over 700 people have since been killed and more than 5,700 injured by Israeli fire in the West Bank, according to the Health Ministry.

The escalation followed a landmark opinion by the International Court of Justice on July 19 that declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land unlawful and demanded the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala