On December 23, 2025, Israeli forces carried out a large-scale raid on the Qalandiya refugee camp and the town of Kafr Aqab. The operation involved troops storming shops and residential areas, using stun grenades and tear gas, which resulted in multiple injuries. Soldiers also converted several homes into temporary military outposts, forcing families to evacuate.

During this large-scale incursion in Qalandiya and Kafr Aqab, at least 24 Palestinians were injured, some by live ammunition and others by tear gas. Several Palestinians were also detained, including Anan Mohammed Taha and his father, Mohammed Taha, both residents of the Qalandiya refugee camp.

The raid was accompanied by the deployment of military vehicles and bulldozers. Israeli forces raided Palestinian stores and shops, destroying some signs and advertising billboards in what residents described as an attempt to further cripple the Palestinian economy.

In addition to the demolitions, Israeli forces confiscated goods from commercial shops in the Qalandiya refugee camp, Kafr Aqab, and parts of northern Jerusalem, citing alleged unpaid municipal taxes. Municipal taxes (called arnona in Hebrew) are local city taxes levied on property and businesses in Jerusalem. All residents and business owners are supposed to pay them if they fall under Jerusalem’s municipal jurisdiction Most Palestinians living in these areas hold Jerusalem residency identification cards. Residents say they are subject to high municipal taxes while receiving very limited basic services in return. Indeed, holding these IDs doesn’t make them citizens, and the areas they live in — like Kafr Aqab and Qalandiya — are often disconnected from the rest of the city by the separation wall and checkpoints

Qalandiya / Qalandia Refugee Camp:

Israeli forces undertook a military operation involving incursions, demolition of shops, and clashes with residents.

Israeli forces also stormed the youth club inside the Qalandiya refugee camp and turned the facility into a military base.

The soldiers also closed the Qalandiya military checkpoint.

Kafr Aqab:

Troops extended the operation into the town, conducting searches, pushing out families, and deploying heavily in residential zones.

Israeli forces ordered several families to evacuate their homes, with at least three houses converted into temporary military outposts. Homeowners were reportedly told the operation would continue until at least Wednesday morning.

Journalists covering the operation were also targeted, including Al Jazeera Arabic reporters, with Israeli forces firing stun grenades and tear gas canisters in their direction.

According to the Jerusalem governorate authorities, stun grenades were also fired directly towards students in the area as they were returning home from school.

Casulaties:

Medical sources reported Palestinians were wounded by live fire, rubber bullets, and tear gas during these raids. At least three Palestinians were injured by Israeli forces’ gunfire, in addition to dozens of cases of suffocation caused by the firing of tear gas and stun grenades.

Broader context:

Kafr Aqab was once part of Jerusalem, and its Palestinian residents hold Israeli residency status. However, in the early 2000s, Israel decided to exclude the area from the city by rerouting the Separation Wall so that Kafr Aqab fell outside Jerusalem’s municipal boundaries. This redrawing of the boundary significantly intensified the ghettoization of Kafr Aqab, leaving the neighborhood physically and administratively cut off from the city.