Israeli forces launched a large-scale operation in the Qalandiya refugee camp in occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday.
The Jerusalem Governorate said dozens of military vehicles stormed the camp before dawn, carrying boxes, equipment and maps.
Soldiers deployed across several neighbourhoods as home raids and searches continued.
Palestinian sources said troops raided the headquarters of the camp’s Popular Committee and forcibly removed several residents from their homes.
One family was ordered to evacuate its house completely, while dawn prayers were prevented in all of the camp’s mosques.
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A Palestinian man was wounded after being struck by a military vehicle near the camp, suffering leg injuries. Soldiers also severely beat journalist Muhammad Sumrin while he was covering the raid and fired stun grenades at other journalists.
The army also carried out a wave of arrests, with several Palestinians reportedly assaulted during their detention. The Palestinian Red Crescent said a 53-year-old man was injured after being beaten.
Eyewitnesses said soldiers breached the wall near the camp to allow bulldozers to enter. The machinery later demolished a car wash on Almatar Street.
During the operation, soldiers distributed leaflets warning residents against “harming the security and lives of Israelis”. Similar messages were also sent directly to residents, urging them not to confront Israeli forces.
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The Israeli military’s coordinator for activities in the West Bank, known as Cogat, said in a Facebook post that the military had launched a large-scale operation in Qalandiya refugee camp targeting “terrorist elements, terrorist infrastructure, and the phenomenon of weapons possession and trafficking, which poses a threat to the security of the entire region”.
It was not immediately clear what “terrorist” activity the military was referring to.
There are no known recent attacks against Israelis originating from the Qalandiya refugee camp.
Earlier, Israeli media quoted security sources as saying the military was considering expanding attacks on several refugee camps across the occupied West Bank, including Qalandiya, following the raids in Jenin and Tulkarm. Israel says the campaign is aimed at dismantling armed infrastructure in the northern and central West Bank.
Qalandiya camp is home to more than 15,000 Palestinian refugees living in a densely populated area.
Its location between Jerusalem and Ramallah, close to Israeli settlements and other Israeli-controlled areas, has made it a frequent target of Israeli military raids over the years.
