GENEVA, 16 Dec. - (ANA) - UNRWA has warned that Israeli demolition plans pose a serious threat to the Nur Shams refugee camp, as Israeli occupation forces intensify operations against refugee camps in the northern occupied West Bank.

 

Roland Friedrich, UNRWA’s head of affairs in the West Bank, said Israeli authorities have issued a new demolition order that could see around 25 homes in Nur Shams destroyed from 18 December, putting hundreds of Palestinian refugees at risk after many have already been forcibly displaced.

 

He said satellite imagery reveals extensive destruction even before the latest order, with almost half of the camp’s buildings already damaged or demolished.

 

"This falls within a recurring pattern witnessed in the region this year, whereby Israeli forces demolish homes with the aim of imposing long-term control over the camps in the northern West Bank, which would lead to a permanent change in the geographical character of these camps."

 

Friedrich added that Israeli authorities justify the demolitions on the grounds of "military necessity", but stressed that such actions "do not make anyone safer".

 

He warned that the displacement of more than 32,000 Palestinian refugees across the northern West Bank must not become permanent, noting that families have spent 11 months waiting to return home, only to see those hopes undermined by repeated demolitions.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/16 December 2025 - - -