Israeli forces have begun demolishing dozens of buildings housing Palestinian families in the northern occupied West Bank, forcing mass displacement as winter sets in, and leaving communities scrambling for shelter.Israeli military bulldozers and cranes tore through residential blocks in the Nur Shams refugee camp on Wednesday, flattening homes that housed about 100 families. Thick clouds of dust rose over the camp as residents watched from a distance, according to an AFP news agency journalist at the scene.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list“Being torn away from our homes, our neighbourhoods and our memories is deeply painful,” said Mutaz Mahr, whose building was among those destroyed.“The occupation tries by every means to wear us down and pressure us,” he told AFP, referring to Israel.“Our home is dear to us, the memories are dear to us, the family, the neighbours, and the good people are dear to us,” he said as bulldozers advanced. “The first time, our grandparents were displaced, and this is the second time.”Mahr said he and about 25 relatives were sheltering in a 100-square-metre (120-square-yard) apartment after being driven out of the camp.The Israeli military claimed the demolitions formed part of an operation against Palestinian resistance groups, a claim that could not be independently verified. Palestinian residents and rights groups say the destruction amounts to collective punishment and forced displacement under occupation. Residents of the Nur Shams Palestinian refugee camp watch their homes being demolished on New Year’s Eve by an Israeli military excavator in the Nur Shams camp, on December 31, 2025 [Zain Jaafar/AFP]Nihaya al-Jendi, a member of Nur Shams’s popular committee, said the s …
