Israeli security forces maintained a siege on the Qalandiyah refugee camp north of Jerusalem for a second consecutive day on Thursday, restricting movement and barring access to medical and media personnel, according to residents and Palestinian officials.
The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that its medical teams had treated at least 10 individuals injured during clashes related to the Israeli military operation in the camp, which lies on the boundary between the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Several patients have been evacuated, but medics said their access to the camp was denied overnight, leaving others without necessary treatment.
Camp residents stated that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) imposed restrictions preventing people from leaving or returning to their homes. Several Palestinians were detained and held for questioning, while families reported the confiscation of mobile phones belonging to those taken into custody. Some relatives remain unable to contact detainees and are unsure of their current status.
Eyewitnesses described the deployment of hundreds of Israeli soldiers along newly constructed earth mounds near the Qalandiyah checkpoint, with reports that Israeli forces also demolished shops in the southern area of the camp since Thursday morning.
The Palestinian Authority’s Jerusalem governorate expressed concern, warning that the military operation mirrored previous large-scale campaigns in other Palestinian refugee camps such as Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur Shams, where similar incursions led to the displacement of many residents. The governorate criticized the scale of the Israeli presence and the widespread restrictions on movement, stating these measures went beyond what Israel termed “security measures.”
The operation began late Tuesday, when Israeli forces launched an extensive campaign targeting suspected “terrorist elements” within the camp, reportedly closing multiple entry points. The IDF distributed leaflets in Arabic announcing the large-scale operation and warning that “all means” would be used to prevent attacks on Israeli civilians and security personnel. The leaflets also stated that anyone threatening Israeli forces or civilians risks “live fire and arrest.”
COGAT, the Israeli military body responsible for civilian affairs in the Palestinian territories, issued a statement in Arabic declaring that the operation aims to dismantle “terrorist infrastructure” and prevent the possession and trafficking of weapons, which it said threaten regional security. The statement emphasized that the IDF would not allow Qalandiyah, or other refugee camps in the West Bank, to become sanctuaries for terrorism or criminal activity.
The raids follow reports from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), which stated that Israeli forces had conducted five incursions into its Qalandiyah Training Center—the agency's last operational facility in East Jerusalem—since early 2026.
Last week, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz directed the IDF to prepare for the takeover of another West Bank refugee camp and the displacement of its Palestinian residents as part of an intensified offensive against Palestinian militant activity. Katz said the decision was made during a security meeting involving IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir and senior police and security officials, reflecting concerns about a resurgence of Palestinian terrorism.
Security sources noted that the political-security cabinet has been considering expanding military operations to multiple refugee camps across the West Bank.