Israeli Supreme Court to Hear Adalah Petition Challenging Planned Mass Demolitions in Nur Shams Refugee Camp

The planned demolitions would put hundreds of Palestinian refugees at risk of homelessness and forcible displacement. The military has justified the demolitions on the grounds of alleged “military necessity,” even though the camp has been largely depopulated for months and there are no active hostilities. The Israeli Supreme Court will hear an urgent petition filed by Adalah – The Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel challenging the Israeli military’s decision to demolish 25 residential buildings in the Nur Shams Refugee Camp, near Tulkarem in the occupied West Bank. The hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, 24 December, at 09:00 a.m. (Jerusalem Time) before a three-justice panel.

Adalah filed the petition on 17 December 2025 on behalf of 22 residents whose homes are slated for demolition, including particularly vulnerable individuals including persons with disabilities, parents of young children, and elderly people. Following the petition, the Supreme Court issued a temporary freeze on the demolition orders, originally scheduled to take effect on 18 December 2025, pending judicial review.

Adalah argues that the demolitions constitute a serious violation of international humanitarian law, including the prohibition on the destruction of civilian property and collective forcible transfer, and threaten grave harm to civilians and their fundamental rights. The petition cites multiple violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention, including the prohibitions on the destruction of civilian property, the forcible transfer of protected persons, and collective punishment.

These demolition orders are part of a broader campaign by the Israeli military, which has escalated the destruction of homes and infrastructure across Palestinian refugee camps, displacing approximately 40,000 residents since January 2025. Human Rights Watch has concluded that these actions may constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. Adalah challenged the systematic destruction in Tulkarem, Nur Shams, and Jenin refugee camps through three earlier petitions to the Supreme Court (HCJ), all of which were dismissed.

For further details and inquiries:

Miriam Azem | International Advocacy Coordinator
Email: miriam@adalah.org
Phone/WhatsApp: +972-53-734-0662

Photo: Aerial view of Nur Shams Refugee Camp. Source: WAFA.