The Battle of Tulkarem April 19, 2024

1. The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has been engaged in a campaign against Palestinian militants in the West Bank. The latest major such operation took place in Nour Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem. A handful of Palestinian militants were killed on April 19, 2024 in the camp. Israel remains persistent in cracking down on militancy in the Palestinian territories and major trouble spots while they defend themselves in both in the South against Hamas and the North against Hezbollah. This is likely to remain the situation as Israel’s security concerns remain elevated after the October 7Th 2023 terror attacks.

2. A special unit of the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) made an incursion into the Nour Shams-Tulkarem refugee camp in the West Bank. The unit reportedly has been making careful advances under heavy machinegun fire from Palestinian militants. [COMMENT: Located in the middle of Tulkarem City, the Camp is the West Bank’s second largest refugee camp and is recognized as one of the “hottest terror spots in the region,” with various militias known for their association with the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO), Hamas and the Jordanian General Intelligence Department (GID). Over the years, the Jordanian Government (JG) has exerted influence on several militants in the West Bank, though least acknowledged, the GID has a military and intelligence presence that Jordan’s monarchy uses for advantage against both the Israelis and the Palestinian Authority. END COMMENT]

3. Special Israeli forces began advancing towards the Nour Shams camp around midnight on April 19, 2024, with the help of dozens of IDF armoured vehicles. The vehicles and soldiers carefully advanced towards the camp’s main entrance (the Nour Shams roundabout) and eventually stopped at Saif roundabout, just at the mouth of the Camp’s central area. At that point, Israeli soldiers exited the vehicles and began advancing on foot.

4. At 2:22 am, trucks carrying Israeli military D9 bulldozers began arriving at the scene. Shortly after, Palestinian militants opened fire at the IDF infantry soldiers to which the Israelis responded with heavy machinegun fire, and a fierce gun battle ensued. At least two D9s began deploying on the scene as fighting became fierce. An improvised explosive device (IED) was ignited beneath a D9 while it was advancing into the camp. The IED did not cause any damage to the D9.

5. At 3:03 AM, the noise of Israeli military drones were heard in the camp. A D9 arrived at the camp shortly after, with a dozen IDF armoured vehicles soon after that. At 3:26 AM, explosions could be heard, with no sign of any damage to either IDF soldiers or vehicles.

6. Shortly after that, a D9 began knocking down the building holding Al-Damah Butcher and Kebab Shop which is opposite the Al-Fadous Mosque and the Tulkarem Department of Motor Vehicles. The said building houses the restaurant and storage houses underneath. The D9 bulldozers preceded to knock down more houses under intensified Palestinian militant fire on Israeli soldiers.

7. The Palestinian militants engaged were confirmed to be from the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade and dozens of Hamas-loyalist militants. Nonetheless, their resistance receded after three hours of battle, and Israeli armoured vehicles moved freely across the camp’s central and Northern regions. At the same time, more Israeli armoured vehicles began arriving to back up and support the ongoing operations. [See video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neduFCiYlOI ]. During the operation, Israeli soldiers arrested two Palestinian militants wanted for terror charges.

8. Since the war’s outbreak on October 7, Israel has sustained a tight grip on the West Bank to prevent an Intifada outbreak. The Tulkarem refugee camp is considered one of the most problematic in the West Bank, with the number of militants being higher per population – an estimated 220 of a 10,000 total population. To make things worse, the presence of both, the Jordanian Intelligence and Hamas makes them stronger. The surgical and swift operations the IDF has been carrying out are designed to specifically operationally disrupt and scare the ranks of the Palestinian militants.

9. The battle ensued until the morning’s early hours. Four Palestinian militants have been killed, those militants have been ide Ahmad Abu El Faheem, Ahmad Al-Aref, Mutasim Al-Aref, and 16 year old militant Qais Fathi Nasrallah. Additionally, a 12 year old Palestinian child was caught in the crossfire and died after being shot in the head. This happened when he accidentally walked into the middle of Palestinian militants fighting Israeli armoured vehicles near the child’s home. In the end, the IDF arrested four suspected militants, those were: Anas Salah Ali, Oudai Samer Jaber, Khaled Al-Dablaoui and Mahmoud Al-Dablaoui.