The Israeli military announced on Friday that it had completed a raid in the occupied West Bank, during which several militants were reportedly killed. Residents and humanitarian organizations reported significant damage to roads and civilian infrastructure as a result of the operation.
While the military did not disclose the number of militants killed or their affiliations, it stated that soldiers engaged in “close-quarters combat” in the Nur Shams area, located on the outskirts of Tulkarm.
According to Wafa, the official news agency of the Palestinian Authority, at least five individuals were killed in the raid, with over two dozen others detained in operations across the West Bank, including in Ramallah, Nablus, and Qalqilya.
Humanitarian groups and local residents reported that the raid severely impacted the infrastructure of Nur Shams, with many residents taking shelter in their homes amid the gunfire.
Nihad Shaweesh, an official in Nur Shams, stated that soldiers conducted searches in numerous homes, questioned residents, and took positions in residential buildings. Historically a refugee camp established after the 1948 war, Nur Shams has evolved into a densely populated neighborhood.
Philippe Lazzarini, director of UNRWA, the primary United Nations agency assisting Palestinians, noted in a post on X that the raid resulted in the destruction of roads, water, and electricity networks in Nur Shams. He also reported damage to an UNRWA office that provided services to over 14,000 Palestinians, including education, health, and sanitation.
Lazzarini claimed that Israeli military bulldozers had demolished part of the agency’s offices, a statement supported by local officials. However, the Israeli military firmly denied this, with Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani asserting that Palestinian militants had detonated explosives near the building in an attempt to harm Israeli soldiers, which likely caused structural damage.
A resident of Nur Shams, Khalil Abu Slim, 41, reported that his small mobile phone store was destroyed during the raid. The store, located near the UNRWA office, was described as a dilapidated structure comprising only a few rooms under a tin roof.
Abu Slim recounted prior incidents where the army had damaged his shop’s doors but stated that this time, nothing was left intact. He expressed concern over the severe damage to the central area of Nur Shams, which serves as a vital commercial space for local residents.