Report: Occupation Army Restructures Camps in the West Bank Within Unprecedented Engineering Operations

SadaNews Translation - In a move described as "the most dramatic since 1967", the Israeli occupation army has carried out a series of extensive engineering and military operations in the refugee camps in northern West Bank, extending from the summer of 2022 to the summer of 2025, aiming to reshape the spatial structure of the camps and eliminate what it described as "terrorist dens".

Yedioth Ahronoth, in its report translated by SadaNews, quoted Colonel "A", commander of the engineering unit in the Central Command of the occupation army, stating that intensive engineering operations were conducted in the Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nur Shams camps, which included: the destruction of 260 buildings inside the camps, the establishment of 11 kilometers of new roads to facilitate troop movement, and the removal of what was described as "the darkness" that had overshadowed the camps, as well as finding 20 laboratories and centers for assembling explosives.

The newspaper continued quoting him: "Colonel A. indicated that the aim of these operations is to "transform the camps into residential neighborhoods", within the framework known as the "Iron Wall" operation, which began at the start of 2025".

This military campaign began during Operation "Break the Waves" in 2022, which was a response to the escalation of resistance operations in northern West Bank. In June 2023, special forces of the occupation army stormed the Jenin camp, resulting in violent clashes and injuries to several soldiers, prompting the occupation leadership to reconsider movement freedom within the camps, after the roads became "filled with explosive devices", as they described.

The Hebrew report added: "Following Operation "House and Garden", it was decided to launch the "Summer Camps" operation, which focused on re-engineering the camps and expanding military control in them".

According to Colonel A, these operations aim to impose a new reality that prevents the reconstruction of the camps as they were, keeping the area under perpetual military control. He clarified that there is a military order permitting the forces to enter and demolish, and that "the intention is for the area to remain this way".

He also indicated that there are ready plans for restructuring all camps, which can be activated according to field developments, confirming that the occupation has informed the Palestinian Authority that the goal is not destruction, but "repairing the camps" after cleaning them from "the rubble", as he expressed it.

Despite the occupation's claims that the Palestinian residents were "surprised" by the scale of the operations, the reality on the ground indicates widespread destruction of infrastructure and forced displacement of residents, amid the absence of any guarantees for reconstruction or the return of the residents.

The Palestinian Authority, according to the report, has entered into dialogue with the occupation regarding the future of these areas, but the final decision still rests with the Israeli political level, which is considering keeping the forces in the camps until at least the end of the year.