UNRWA warns of ‘Israeli’ control plan in Nur Shams

• UNRWA says new ‘Israeli’ demolition orders in Nur Shams camp reflect a policy of long-term control in northern West Bank refugee camps.
  Satellite data show nearly 48% of the camp’s buildings were already damaged or destroyed before the latest order.

The UNRWA has warned that new ‘Israeli’ demolition orders targeting Nur Shams refugee camp in the northern West Bank are intended to impose long-term control and permanently alter the camp’s geography.

Roland Friedrich, director of UNRWA affairs in the West Bank, said a steady stream of alarming developments continues to emerge from the northern West Bank following the issuance of a new demolition order by ‘Israeli’ forces.

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The order places about 25 residential buildings in Nur Shams at imminent risk of demolition starting December 18. He said the decision threatens hundreds of Palestinian refugees, many of whom had already been forcibly displaced during previous ‘Israeli’ military operations in the area, according to Friedrich.

Widespread destruction already recorded

Friedrich said UNRWA analysis based on satellite imagery shows that approximately 48% of all buildings in Nur Shams were damaged or destroyed even before the latest demolition order was issued.

“This did not begin with the most recent order”, Friedrich said. “The scale of destruction was already severe”.

He described the new demolitions as part of a recurring pattern observed throughout the year in refugee camps across the northern West Bank.

Pattern of long-term control

Friedrich said ‘Israeli’ forces have repeatedly destroyed homes in refugee camps under what they describe as security operations, but warned that the outcomes suggest a broader objective.

“This fits a pattern of demolitions aimed at imposing long-term control over refugee camps”, he said. “The result is a permanent change to the geographic and social character of these camps”.

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He also warned that altering camp infrastructure, street layouts, and housing density undermines the possibility of return and reconstruction for displaced residents.

Military justification questioned

‘Israel’ routinely claims that the home demolitions are based on what it calls “military necessity”. Friedrich rejected that rationale, saying such actions do not improve security conditions.

“These demolitions do not make anyone safer”, he said. “They instead deepen trauma, instability, and despair among civilian communities”.

UNRWA has consistently argued that the destruction of civilian homes fuels long-term humanitarian crises rather than addressing immediate security concerns.

Prolonged displacement risk

Friedrich stressed that the forced displacement of Palestinian refugees in the northern West Bank must not become permanent.

He said more than 32,000 Palestinian refugees have been forcibly displaced across the region, with many families displaced multiple times.

Residents of Nur Shams and nearby camps, he added, have been waiting for 11 months to return to their homes.

“They wait in uncertainty”, Friedrich said. “With every strike of demolition machinery, their hope of return fades”.

Growing humanitarian impact

UNRWA warned that continued ‘Israeli’ demolitions are worsening humanitarian conditions, including severe shelter shortages, loss of income, disruption of education, and psychological distress, particularly among children.

The agency called for an immediate halt to demolitions, protection of civilians, and safe, dignified returns for displaced refugees.

Friedrich said that without urgent action, the situation in northern West Bank refugee camps risks becoming a prolonged displacement crisis with lasting consequences for tens of thousands of Palestinian families.