Ramallah, Dec 31 (Petra) – Israeli army bulldozers on Wednesday tore down dozens of homes in a refugee camp north of the occupied West Bank, in a systematic campaign targeting Palestinian refugee camps.

Bulldozers began the demolitions in an entire neighborhood inside the Nur Shams refugee camp, near Tulkarm, as part of a plan to raze 25 buildings, housing more than 100 families, following a massive raid that began on December 14, forcing residents to relocate, the Tulkarm Governorate said in a statement.

"The demolition orders in Nur Shams camp are part of an ongoing aggression against the Palestinian people and are a dangerous escalation targeting Palestinian presence in the camps, which stand as living witnesses to the Nakba (catastrophe)," said Tulkarm Governor Abdullah Kamil said.

"It is a collective punishment against civilians and a blatant violation of international law and human rights conventions," he said, adding that the demolitions had left many without homes as the camp laid in ruins with its infrastructure destroyed.

Kamil called for intervention by the international community and human rights organizations to stop the violations, warning of their serious impact on civilians.

//Petra//SS