Large-scale raid near Jerusalem injures at least 51 Palestinians and leads to dozens of arrests amid ongoing military operations in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli forces have demolished seven homes and several other structures in the Qalandiya refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, while beginning the destruction of dozens more, the Jerusalem Governorate has told Media.
The demolitions formed part of a large-scale military raid that began earlier this week and continued for a second day, according to Palestinian officials. Israeli troops also destroyed commercial shops near the Qalandiya checkpoint, imposed a curfew on the neighbouring town of Kafr Aqab, and sealed off roads linking the area to Jerusalem.
Dozens Hurt During Israeli Camp Raid:
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that at least 51 Palestinians were injured during the operation. Of those, 35 required hospital treatment after severe beatings, six were treated at the scene, one was hit by a rubber-coated steel bullet, and six suffered from tear gas inhalation. Medical teams said Israeli forces blocked ambulance access to the camp for extended periods, though crews managed to evacuate some patients, including those needing kidney dialysis.
Dozens of Palestinians, including women and children, were detained for field interrogations. Local reports put the number of arrests at more than 70. Israeli soldiers converted several homes into makeshift military outposts and detention sites after forcing residents out. Journalists at the camp entrance were ordered to leave after troops fired stun grenades in their direction.
Mohammad Aslan, a spokesman for the committee that administers the camp, described conditions as extremely difficult, saying forces ransacked homes, damaged property and, in some cases, took cash and jewellery. One resident’s home was partially demolished with explosives before he was arrested.
The Israeli military described the operation as aimed at thwarting terrorism, enforcing the law and arresting wanted individuals. It said forces were targeting “terrorist elements, terrorist infrastructure, and the possession and trafficking of weapons.”
Israeli Military Ends Two-Day Qalandia Raid:
Qalandiya refugee camp, located north of occupied East Jerusalem and near Ramallah, is home to thousands of Palestinian refugees. Residents have long expressed fears that repeated raids and demolitions could be linked to Israeli settlement expansion plans in the adjacent Atarot area, where authorities have advanced proposals for thousands of housing units.
The raid comes amid a broader uptick in Israeli military activity across the occupied West Bank in recent weeks, with Palestinian officials reporting dozens of daily operations, home raids, arrests and settler-related violence. Israeli forces later withdrew from the camp and Kafr Aqab after approximately two days of operations, leaving extensive damage to homes and infrastructure.
Palestinian authorities condemned the demolitions and raids as collective punishment, while calling for international intervention to halt what they describe as escalating measures against civilian communities in the occupied territory.