Tulkarem /PNN /
The Palestinian Liberation Organization's (PLO) Refugee Affairs Department has strongly condemned the Israeli airstrike on Tulkarem refugee camp, labelling it as a "dangerous escalation" in the ongoing targeting of refugee camps and the Palestinian refugee issue. The attack, carried out using F-16 fighter jets, resulted in the deaths and injuries of dozens, including women, children, and young people.
In a statement, the department stressed that this massacre is part of a broader campaign by the Israeli government to undermine the Palestinian national cause, erase the rights of refugees from Palestinian memory, and thwart efforts to establish an independent Palestinian state. The attack, the statement noted, mirrors the brutal assaults on Gaza and follows calls by Israeli leaders to expand military operations and destruction in the West Bank.
The PLO department called for an immediate international investigation into these actions, classifying them as crimes against humanity. It insisted that the investigation should cover all crimes committed against the Palestinian people, including those in refugee camps, the internally displaced, and the continuous targeting of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA), its staff, and facilities, which the department said are part of the ongoing genocide.
The department also stressed the urgent need for international protection for the Palestinian people, asserting that this is an internationally recognised right and a responsibility of the global community. It urged the international community to protect UN institutions, particularly UNRWA, which plays a critical role in providing life-saving services amid the ongoing conflict.
Furthermore, the statement held the Israeli government fully accountable for the repercussions of this heinous crime, describing it as part of a wider assault on the Palestinian people, their rights, sacred sites, and institutions. The department underlined that this attack targets the very existence of Palestinians across all occupied territories, including Gaza, the West Bank, and Jerusalem.
It also called on all international parties to halt the supply of weapons to Israel, stating that these arms fuel ongoing warfare and aggression. The department warned that continuing to arm Israel is tantamount to complicity in war crimes and would push the region and the world toward greater instability.
The statement concluded with a vow that the Palestinian people will remain steadfast on their land, continuing their national struggle for freedom, independence, and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. It reaffirmed their commitment to the right of return, compensation, and the restoration of property, as outlined in UN Resolution 194, and emphasised that no force, regardless of its brutality, will succeed in uprooting or erasing them. The Palestinian people, it said, will thwart all attempts at forced displacement from their homeland.
