Photos: Israeli forces raid occupied West Bank’s Qalandiya refugee camp

What Happened

Israeli forces raided the Qalandiya refugee camp near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on 12 March 2025, entering homes and shops and issuing demolition threats against businesses. The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) reported that eight Palestinians were taken to hospital with injuries. Mohammad Aslan, spokesman for the camp's governing committee, told AFP that the Israeli army had arrested at least 20 people and taken up positions on residents' roofs. The raid follows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government's 2023 advancement of plans for a 9,000-unit settlement on the site of the former Atarot airport, adjacent to Qalandiya. Palestinian residents fear the raids and demolition threats are part of a displacement strategy ahead of illegal settlement construction, though Israeli authorities have not publicly linked the operations to the settlement plan.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The raid in Qalandiya, combined with advanced plans for a large settlement on adjacent land, intensifies fears that Israeli operations are aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians to expand illegal settlements. Such actions undermine the viability of a contiguous Palestinian state and fuel further instability in the West Bank, drawing international scrutiny over settlement expansion and collective punishment.

Watch For

Monitor whether the Israeli government advances the Atarot settlement plan or conducts follow-up demolitions in Qalandiya. Watch for official Israeli statements clarifying the raid's objectives, any UN or diplomatic reactions, and potential escalatory responses from Palestinian factions or protests in the camp.