18-hour siege and raid.. The occupation wreaks havoc in Qalandia camp and Al-Ram town

Israeli occupation forces withdrew from Qalandia camp and Al-Ram town, north of occupied Jerusalem, after a wide-ranging military operation that lasted for about 18 continuous hours. The invading forces left behind widespread destruction of private and public property, in addition to sending direct threat messages to residents via paper leaflets and loudspeakers.

Local sources from inside the camp reported that the occupation army carried out a mass arrest campaign targeting more than 80 Palestinians of different ages, who were taken blindfolded and handcuffed to field interrogation centers. The majority of the detainees were later released after undergoing harsh interrogations under threat and abuse.

During the hours of the raid, Israeli forces converted a number of inhabited homes into military barracks and observation points, after forcing their owners to evacuate them. Military bulldozers also closed vital streets and main entrances with earth mounds and concrete blocks, completely isolating the area from its surroundings.

Citizen Muhammad Abu Ghoush recounted details of eight hours he spent in detention, where soldiers stormed his home at four in the morning and took him with other young men to a residential complex that had been emptied of its residents. Abu Ghoush explained that the area officer directly threatened him with arresting his family members before deciding to release him after hours of psychological pressure.

For his part, journalist Saif Al-Qawasmi stated that Al-Ram town is subjected to almost daily incursions, but this time was different in terms of the duration of the siege and the closure of all access points. Al-Qawasmi pointed out the occupation's use of drones to heavily drop tear gas canisters towards citizens who tried to move between neighborhoods.

In another testimony, citizen Muhammad Bazie spoke about forcing his sister and her four children to leave their home at gunpoint to turn it into a military point. Bazie considered that these practices aim to spread terror among refugees and push them towards forced displacement by creating an unsafe and repellent living environment for residents.

Camp residents confirmed that the acts of sabotage were not limited to homes, but also included smashing shop doors and destroying infrastructure in narrow streets. Residents also observed intensive drone flights monitoring movements within the camp's alleys throughout the military operation, which was described as the most violent in months.

In turn, the media advisor to the Jerusalem Governorate, Maarouf Al-Rifai, explained that the strict siege began at dawn on Monday and directly targeted the families of martyrs and released prisoners. Al-Rifai added that most of those subjected to field arrests reported being severely beaten and deliberately humiliated before being released in batches.

Al-Rifai indicated that the occupation deliberately used loudspeakers to broadcast intimidating messages threatening residents with more collective punishments if the resistance continued. He considered this policy a clear condemnation of the occupation's attempts to impose a new security reality in the areas surrounding occupied Jerusalem and isolate it from its Palestinian depth.

In a related context, the Jerusalem Affairs Department of the Palestine Liberation Organization condemned the dangerous field escalation in the towns of Al-Ram, Kafr Aqab, and Qalandia camp. The department said in a statement that what is happening is a systematic policy to dismantle the Palestinian social fabric and impose a coercive security reality aimed at liquidating the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem.

The department stressed that targeting humanitarian facilities, such as storming an UNRWA clinic and destroying its contents, constitutes a blatant violation of international laws. It added that these attacks come within the framework of fighting institutions that provide essential services to Palestinian refugees to weaken their steadfastness in their camps.

Observers believe that the timing and intensity of these incursions are linked to broader plans aimed at liquidating the refugee issue, starting with targeting the camps, which are considered strongholds of refuge. These military operations are part of attempts to consolidate the isolation of Jerusalem through the apartheid wall and permanent military checkpoints such as the Qalandia checkpoint.

Finally, medical sources confirmed that field teams dealt with several cases of suffocation due to tear gas, in addition to contusion injuries resulting from beatings. Despite the withdrawal of military vehicles, tension still prevails in the area amid fears of renewed incursions in the coming hours.

Forcing people to leave their homes creates a state of fear and terror, and the occupation aims to create a repellent environment to displace camp residents.