Kalendia Refugee Camp Raid (August 2026)

The Qalandiya Refugee Camp Raid is a large-scale military operation launched by the Israeli military on 5 August 2026 against the Qalandiya Refugee Camp, located in northern occupied East Jerusalem, and ongoing as of 6 August 2026. During the raid, numerous military vehicles and bulldozers entered the camp, homes were stormed, commercial shops were destroyed, dozens of Palestinians were arrested, injuries occurred, and a curfew along with widespread security restrictions were imposed across the area.

^{Kalendia Refugee Camp in northern occupied East Jerusalem, raided by Israeli forces, 5 August 2026 – (Anadolu Agency)}

On the early morning of 5 August 2026, the Israeli military launched a large-scale raid on the Qalandiya Refugee Camp in northern occupied East Jerusalem, deploying military vehicles and bulldozers. The operation involved more than 30 military vehicles and 10 bulldozers, with troops, vehicles and machinery heavily deployed throughout the camp’s neighborhoods.^【1】

On the same day, Israeli forces also conducted raids on the neighboring villages of Kefr Akab and Ram, adjacent to the camp. A curfew was enforced in Kefr Akab, where military vehicles were heavily stationed, while a Palestinian in Ram was injured by gunfire from Israeli soldiers.^【2】

Journalist Muhammad Samrin was assaulted by Israeli soldiers during the raid. Israeli forces also beat two Palestinians, including a 53-year-old man; an Israeli military vehicle struck and injured another Palestinian in the vicinity of the camp.

^{Kalendia Refugee Camp in northern occupied East Jerusalem, raided by Israeli forces, 5 August 2026 – (Anadolu Agency)}

During the ongoing raid, numerous Palestinians were arrested, including the father of Leys Shuani, who was killed by Israeli forces in the Qalandiya Refugee Camp in 2018. Videos circulating on social media show ten Israeli soldiers surrounding a young Palestinian man, beating him to the ground, punching him, and then pinning him down with their knees before arresting him.^【3】

On 5 August, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that its teams had provided medical assistance to eight Palestinians injured during the Israeli military raid on the Qalandiya Refugee Camp and that the wounded had been transported to hospitals.^【4】

^{Kalendia Refugee Camp in northern occupied East Jerusalem, raided by Israeli forces, 5 August 2026 – (Anadolu Agency)}

On the same day, Israeli forces evacuated the home of the Palestinian Mansur family and converted it into a military command center. According to WAFA, the Israeli military also demolished a car wash facility in the camp using a bulldozer.^【5】

Military reinforcements continued to be deployed through openings in sections of the Separation Wall, extending to the Airport Neighborhood and the area around the Qalandiya Educational Institute. These openings facilitated the entry of additional military vehicles and units into the area.^【6】

According to the Jerusalem Governorate, vehicles carrying boxes, equipment and maps were dispatched into the camp, a raid was carried out on the camp’s Popular Committee Center, and Israeli soldiers forced some Palestinians to leave their homes. Israeli forces prevented the recitation of the morning adhan and congregational prayers in mosques within the camp. Messages sent by the Israeli military to some residents stated that a large-scale military operation had been launched in the camp.

^{Kalendia Refugee Camp in northern occupied East Jerusalem, raided by Israeli forces, 5 August 2026 – (Anadolu Agency)}

On Thursday, 6 August 2026, Israeli occupation forces extended their raids on the Qalandiya Refugee Camp into a second day. Demolition operations, widespread home raids, and intensified military measures continued. The Jerusalem Governorate reported that Israeli forces began demolishing a series of commercial shops near the Qalandiya military checkpoint and had closed the main road to vehicular traffic, bringing all transportation in the area to a standstill.^【7】

The Governorate stated that Israeli forces announced a curfew in the streets of Kefr Akab via loudspeakers at dawn and had closed all intersections and roads leading to Jerusalem, including Al-Maahad Street, under heavy military presence. The Israeli military has not issued any immediate statement regarding the demolitions or military measures in the area.^【8】

The Governorate also reported that Israeli forces blocked ambulances from entering the Qalandiya Refugee Camp and prevented the evacuation of patients to hospitals, while continuing to raid homes, search them, and damage their contents. The Governorate stated that Israeli forces evacuated the home of resident Muhammad Jamil Ammar, placed explosives inside, detonated parts of the structure, and then arrested him.^【9】

The Israeli military deployed additional reinforcements targeting the Market Neighborhood within the camp and continued arresting numerous youths during the ongoing raids.

Muhammad Aslan, President of the Qalandiya Refugee Camp Services Popular Committee affiliated with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), stated that the raid initiated the previous day continued into its second day, with homes being stormed, belongings destroyed, residents subjected to abuse, and money and gold jewelry stolen from some homes. Aslan described the situation in the camp as “extremely dire” and noted that the Israeli military was still sending additional units into the area.^【10】

^{The Qalandiya Refugee Camp in northern occupied East Jerusalem, raided by Israeli forces, 5 August 2026 - (Anadolu Agency)}

According to Aslan, the Israeli military had converted eight homes into military command centers and arrested at least 20 Palestinians. Aslan indicated that the number could rise as the raid continues and condemned the international community’s indifference to the torture and ill-treatment endured by residents, calling on it to take action on the issue.

Muhammad Aslan reported that three people sustained serious injuries due to beatings by Israeli soldiers, including one with a fractured skull, and that at least 60 people suffered respiratory distress from tear gas exposure.^【11】

The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that its teams provided medical assistance to ten individuals injured in Israeli attacks and noted that some patients had been evacuated from the area. The Red Crescent stated that its teams were clearly obstructed by Israeli soldiers while attempting to reach the wounded at night, and that despite being unable to access some cases, they were forced to withdraw from the camp.