Israeli Forces Raid Houses In West Bank Refugee Camp, Hundreds Detained

As Israel-Hamas war rages, Israeli defence forces searched houses in the Nour al-Shams refugee camp situated in the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarm.

Israeli soldiers detain three Palestinian police officers in the West Bank city

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Israeli forces on Thursday raided houses in the Nour al-Shams refugee camp situated in the occupied West Bank city of Tulkarm. Hundreds of people suspected of militant activities were detained by the forces as the raid ended in the afternoon of the second day, reported Reuters. The Palestinian Red Crescent said that it had treated 21 casualties and 17 suffered injuries from the beatings and interrogation and one from live fire, the news agency added. Tulkarm, which is the location of one of the main crossing points between the West Bank and Israel has seen repeated raids by security forces.

As per residents, Israeli forces detained at least 120 people and demolished three houses including the one belonging to a member of the Tulkarm Brigades, an armed militant group linked to the Palestinian faction Fatah, Reuters reported.

Reuters quoted the military as saying, "IDF forces continue to operate, alongside other Israeli security forces, in a broad divisional operation to suppress terrorism in the Nour al-Shams refugee camp in Menashe." Meanwhile, the Tulkarm Brigades said that their fighters had exchanged fire with the Israeli forces.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh called upon the United Nations to monitor Nour-al-Shams and separate Tulkarm camp. "Israel targets the camps to inflame the situation in the West Bank," Shtayyeh said.

As per Reuters, the West Bank had already experienced the highest levels of unrest in decades during the 18 months prior to Hamas' attack on Israel on Hamas on October 7 but confrontations have risen sharply as Israeli forces have launched an invasion of Gaza.

According to a Reuters report, hundreds of Palestinians were killed in clashes with Israeli soldiers and settlers over the past weeks. Security forces have had repeated confrontations between troops and Palestinian protesters following which they have carried out thousands of arrests.