Israeli Forces Enter Qalandiya Refugee Camp North of Occupied Jerusalem, Local Sources Report

Israeli occupation forces stormed Qalandiya refugee camp north of occupied Jerusalem on Tuesday, local sources reported, in the latest military incursion into one of the West Bank's most densely populated Palestinian refugee settlements.

Armed soldiers entered the camp in the early hours, according to witnesses on the ground, deploying military vehicles through narrow camp streets as clashes broke out between Palestinian youth and Israeli forces. Details on casualties and arrests remained unclear in the immediate aftermath of the raid.

Qalandiya camp was established in 1949 to shelter Palestinians displaced during the Nakba, the mass expulsion that accompanied the creation of the State of Israel. It now houses tens of thousands of refugees and their descendants in an area of less than one square kilometer. Located at the intersection of the Ramallah governorate and occupied East Jerusalem, the camp falls under a complex web of Israeli military jurisdiction that has long restricted movement and economic activity for its residents.

Israeli military incursions into Qalandiya and surrounding areas have intensified sharply since the outbreak of war in Gaza in October 2023. Rights organizations have documented a steep rise in West Bank raids, settler violence, and Palestinian civilian casualties, with more than 900 Palestinians killed in the West Bank since the Gaza conflict began, according to United Nations figures.

The latest raid drew immediate condemnation from Palestinian factions and advocacy groups, who described it as a deliberate effort to terrorize civilian populations living under prolonged military occupation and a clear violation of international humanitarian law.

Qatar, which has played a central diplomatic role in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas and has consistently called for the protection of Palestinian civilian life, has repeatedly urged the international community to hold Israel accountable for its military operations across occupied Palestinian territory. Doha's position, supported by a broad coalition of Gulf states, holds that a sustainable resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be grounded in international law, including a full end to the occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state along 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The incursion at Qalandiya comes amid a broader escalation across the West Bank, where Israeli authorities have accelerated settlement construction, imposed new movement restrictions, and conducted near-nightly military operations inside refugee camps and urban centers. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, which provides essential services including healthcare and education to Qalandiya residents, continues to face severe operational pressure after Israel passed legislation targeting its activities in areas under Israeli control. International monitors warn that deteriorating conditions risk triggering a broader conflagration with destabilizing consequences for the entire region.