'Israeli' demolitions continue in Tulkarm despite court order

'Israeli' forces have commenced the demolition of 104 buildings in the Tulkarm refugee camp, a move that local officials and a Palestinian human rights group contend proceeds despite a temporary freeze issued by 'Israel’s' own Supreme Court.

This large-scale demolition marks a new phase in the ongoing military offensive in the area, forcing hundreds of Palestinian families from their homes.

On Wednesday, residents were observed in a hasty departure, loading their possessions onto vehicles, casting a final glance at the homes they were abandoning. Faisal Salama, a local official in the camp, stated that approximately 400 families now face homelessness due to these new demolition orders.

Late Wednesday, in response to an urgent request from Adalah, a Palestinian human rights group in 'Israel', 'Israel’s' Supreme Court had temporarily frozen the planned demolitions, giving the army until September 2 to respond. However, as of late Thursday, none of the displaced residents had returned, and the 'Israeli' army declined to comment on the court order, with demolitions reportedly continuing.

The 'Israeli' military has justified its actions in Tulkarm by stating it operates in areas "with a high level of terrorism," asserting that the decision to demolish buildings was based on "operational necessity" to ensure forces' freedom of movement, and was made after considering other options.

According to a WAFA correspondent, Israeli Occupation Forces on Monday continued what was described as a "massive spree" of home demolitions in the Tulkarm refugee camp. This marks the 162nd day of military aggression on the camp and the nearby city of Tulkarm. Armored bulldozers were seen tearing down residential buildings in the al-Murabba'a neighborhood, reducing them to rubble, as part of the new plan to demolish 104 residential buildings, comprising approximately 400 houses.

Adalah, a non-governmental legal center, highlighted in a press release that the occupation forces informed the Israeli Supreme Court on July 6, 2025, of their intention to proceed with implementing wide-scale demolition orders. This notice followed an amended Supreme Court decision from July 3.

While the Court initially imposed a freeze on demolitions on July 2 based on Adalah's petition, the amended ruling now permits the military to carry out demolitions if it cites “urgent combat needs or overriding security considerations.” Adalah argues this effectively grants the military vast discretion and significantly weakens judicial oversight.

In its response, the 'Israeli' military claimed that the planned demolitions were necessary to restructure the camp for "operational freedom of movement." However, Adalah's subsequent response to the Court on July 7 challenged this justification, arguing that "no combat activity is currently taking place in the area, and that the refugee camp has been largely emptied of residents, rendering the claim of urgent necessity baseless."

Adalah further contended that the military’s stance "completely nullifies the rights of the protected residents," leaving them without means to challenge the demolition orders. The group is seeking to submit an additional expert opinion to further refute the military's rationale, highlighting how previous demolitions were more extensive than planned and caused irreversible damage to the camp's social and physical landscape.

'Israeli' raids have previously emptied and largely destroyed several urban refugee camps in the northern West Bank, such as Tulkarm and nearby Nur Shams, contributing to the tens of thousands displaced in the West Bank since 1967. Israel has indicated that troops may remain in some camps for up to a year.