For three generations, Ali Abu Khdeir’s family lived in the home his grandfather built in Deir Jarir until Israeli settlers made staying too dangerous. Now residents fear that their families are next.
As Israeli forces move to take over remaining UNRWA facilities in Jerusalem, residents of Qalandia and Shufaat refugee camps fear the assault on the UN agency is linked to the ongoing Israeli military crackdown on the camps.
Amid escalating raids and statements by Israeli officials promising a massive military operation against refugee camps in the West Bank, Palestinians in Ramallah-area camps say it’s not a question of whether their turn will come, but when.
Residents of Qalandia refugee camp outside Ramallah say escalating Israeli raids now come with orders to leave their homes or suffer the same fate as Jenin camp. “Just saying ‘Jenin’ is enough,” one resident said. “Everyone knows what it means.”
The Israeli army carried out one of its most extensive raids on the city center of Ramallah in years, firing at civilians with teargas, stun grenades, and live ammunition.
Israeli settlers have been targeting villages on the eastern slopes of Ramallah for months, with the latest attacks turning deadly. Villagers say it’s all part of Israel’s plans to drive Palestinians out of the area and pave the way for annexation.
After being forced out of their homes by violent Israeli settlers, the Bedouin community of Maghayer al-Deir joins a growing list of Palestinian Bedouins whose villages have been taken over by settlers since October 7, 2023.
Dozens of bodies are still being recovered from the rubble of a destroyed and burnt al-Shifa Hospital, following a two-week Israeli raid and siege on the hospital.
On Sunday, hundreds gathered in Ramallah to welcome Palestinian children set free from Israeli jails for the third consecutive day. It was a bittersweet victory however, with thousands still in jail and Israel’s genocide continuing in Gaza.
Following calls for escalation from Israeli political leaders, Israeli settlers have launched a series of attacks on West Bank villages in the last 24 hours which have killed one Palestinian and injured dozens of others.