Israel dismantles armed strongholds in West Bank, but revolt simmers

Israeli military operations have effectively dismantled armed Palestinian factions in the Jenin and Tulkarem refugee camps, leaving behind a landscape of destruction and a population grappling with loss. However, the article suggests that the elimination of militant leaders has not extinguished the underlying spirit of resistance.

In the Nour Shams camp in Tulkarem, the cemetery stands as a somber testament to the ongoing conflict. Gravestones bear the faces of young men, many of whom died in 2023, 2024, and 2025. Oussama, a 16-year-old watermelon vendor at the cemetery entrance, identified these individuals as fighters who "fell as martyrs facing the Israeli occupation." Oussama himself lost five family members, all affiliated with armed groups that once controlled Nour Shams.

The camp's narrow streets are home to families displaced in 1948 during the first Arab-Israeli war, when they were expelled from their ancestral lands in Haifa. These families, now living in the hills south of Tulkarem, number around 14,000. The "Iron Sword" operation, launched by Israel in January 2025, has significantly impacted the camp's infrastructure and its inhabitants.

Despite the military successes in neutralizing armed groups, the article implies that the cycle of violence and the desire for retribution remain potent. The memory of the fallen, referred to as "martyrs," continues to fuel a deep-seated resentment and a yearning for revenge among the displaced population, suggesting that the conflict's roots run deeper than the immediate military engagements.

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Ce sont les combattants du camp. Ils sont tombés en martyrs face à l’occupation israélienne.