As IDF Storms Palestinian Refugee Camp, Turning Houses Into Outposts, Locals Fear It's Only the Start
Thursday, August 6, 2026 at 07:15PM The IDF began its raid on the Qalandiyah refugee camp north of Jerusalem early Wednesday, seizing homes and converting them into military positions. After months of calm, residents questioned the timing of the operation, accusing the government of political motives
by Jack Khouri 6 August 2026 Haaretz
Israeli security forces take positions during an army operation in the Qalandiyah refugee camp, in the West Bank, on Wednesday. Credit: AFP/ZAIN JAAFAR
Since the early hours of Wednesday, there had been a sense in the Qalandiyah refugee camp in the West Bank that an unusual day was about to unfold. The narrow alleyways filled with IDF soldiers and vehicles, while residents kept their doors shut.
Locals who spoke with Haaretz said the IDF began operating in the camp at around 2 A.M. and remained there for more than 15 hours. Troops carried out arrests, raided homes and converted some buildings into military positions and on-site interrogation centers.
Palestinians living in the camp say the military told them that under military restrictions, they are barred from leaving or returning to their homes. One resident said a friend who left his home on Thursday morning was detained, his car keys were confiscated, and he was told he could retrieve them only the following day.
Above all, an atmosphere of tension and fear hung over the camp, not only because of the ongoing operation, but also out of concern that it might face the same fate as the refugee camps in Jenin, Tulkarm and Nur al-Shams.
"There's absolutely no need or justification for what's happening here," Mohammad Saeed, an activist with the refugee camp's Popular Services Committee, told Haaretz.
According to Saeed, the refugee camp had been relatively quiet in recent months. "We're seeing house raids and the intimidation of children and families. For a long time, the camp was calm, and military patrols came and went without anyone interfering. That's why we don't understand what's behind the current escalation."
A resident of the Qalandiyah refugee camp, on Wednesday. Credit: Mohamad Torokman/Reuters
Saeed stressed that the concern stems not only from the wave of arrests, but primarily from the IDF's continued presence, particularly its conversion of residential homes into military outposts.
"Homes were selected based on their geographic location and turned into military positions and interrogation centers. That creates a tremendous sense of fear among residents," he said.
Referring to Defense Minister Israel Katz's statement that he had instructed the army to prepare to occupy another refugee camp, Saeed said a deep sense of uncertainty prevails in Qalandiya.
"We don't know what the plan is, or whether the operation will last one day, two days or 30 days. No one can predict that," he added.
Early on Wednesday, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), Israel's military body responsible for civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, issued an Arabic-language statement to residents announcing that the operation is targeting "terrorist infrastructure and the possession and trafficking of weapons, which pose a threat to the security of the entire region."
It added that the movement restrictions and disruptions to daily life resulting from the operation "are a direct consequence of terrorist activity."
Qalandiyah residents walk by IDF vehicles, on Wednesday. Credit: AFP/ZAIN JAAFAR
Asked to address the Israeli public directly, Saeed said: "We don't want the Palestinian people to become fuel for Israel's election campaign. Civilians shouldn't have to pay the price for political competition, and politicians shouldn't compete at the expense of people's security and the stability of their lives."
"I hope someone in the international community wakes up," he added.
Dr. Rady Yacoub, a camp resident and activist with its Popular Services Committee, described an unusually large IDF presence, unlike anything previously seen in the area
An IDF soldier stands as a Qalandiyah resident walks by, on Wednesday. Credit: Mohamad Torokman/Reuters
"When such a large number of soldiers enters a small camp of about 19,000 residents, it's only natural for people to fear the severity of the situation," he said, adding that the operation also involved incidents of violence and property damage.
"There were assaults, beatings and vandalism. Some homes were evacuated and turned into military positions and interrogation centers," he said.
Still, Yacoub stressed that it is too early to compare the situation in Qalandiya with that in refugee camps in the northern West Bank. "We don't want to exaggerate or frighten residents," he said.
"So far, the destruction has been concentrated in buildings and businesses along Atarot Road (Route 45). We haven't seen the widespread ruin that occurred in Jenin or Tulkarm, and we hope it doesn't come to that."
IDF troops in Qalandiyah, on Wednesday. Credit: AFP/ZAIN JAAFAR
Residents and activists said there is no justification for such a large-scale military operation, arguing that there are no armed militants or organized terror cells present in the camp.
"People are busy with their daily lives," said Mustafa, a camp resident. "We want a quiet life, but apparently there are people in Israel who are determined to provoke a confrontation at any cost."
The Palestinian Red Crescent said Thursday its teams had so far treated 10 people wounded by what it described as Israeli military violence in the refugee camp, and evacuated several patients. The medics also said the Israeli military barred personnel from accessing the camp overnight, and said several Palestinians needing treatment had yet to receive it.
The Jerusalem Governorate of the Palestinian Authority warned that the military operation in Qalandiya and Kafr 'Aqab is intended to extend the model of large-scale military operations in the northern West Bank to the Jerusalem area.
In a statement, it claimed that the scale of the forces deployed, the presence of snipers, roadblocks and restrictions on residents' movement go beyond what Israel defines as "security measures."
The statement added that troops raided homes and businesses, entered the offices of the Popular Services Committee, detained residents, conducted on-site interrogations and distributed warning leaflets.
Amid the gap between Israel's explanation that the operation is a security measure and residents' accounts reflecting fears of further escalation, the situation in the camp remains shrouded in uncertainty.
As residents await the operation's end, many are wondering whether it is an isolated measure by Israel or the beginning of a deeper shift that could reshape life in the camp.
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