Israeli army withdraws from Tulkarm after 48-hour military operation leaves four dead

TULKARM, Palestine — The Israeli army withdrew from the city of Tulkarm and its refugee camps in the northern occupied West Bank on Thursday evening after a 48-hour military operation.

The Israeli forces left behind four dead, several injured, and extensive damage to infrastructure, including destroyed roads, vandalized water and sewage networks, toppled power poles, demolished homes, and damaged vehicles.

Red Crescent teams, accompanied by local residents, entered the Nur Shams refugee camp, which had been subjected to widespread raids, home demolitions, arrests, and field interrogations over the past two days.

The operation, which began early Wednesday morning, was the largest in the cities of Tulkarm and Jenin, as well as in the Al Fara refugee camp near Tubas, since 2002. The offensive left 16 Palestinians dead, according to Palestinian sources.

The Israeli army withdrew from Al Fara camp early Thursday after a 30-hour incursion.

Tensions remain high across the occupied West Bank amid an ongoing Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 40,600 Palestinians, mostly women and children, since October 7 last year. At least 670 Palestinians have been killed, nearly 5,400 injured, and over 10,300 arrested in the West Bank during the conflict.

On July 19, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s long-standing occupation of Palestinian land unlawful, calling for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. — Agencies