IDF Soldiers Trash Palestinian Homes in Tulkarem, West Bank
During operations in the Tulkarem refugee camp in the West Bank, IDF soldiers were documented trashing apartments, spraying excrement and graffiti, and vandalizing civilian property. Prime Minister Netanyahu visited the area.
In March 2025, during Israeli military operations in the Tulkarem refugee camp in the West Bank, footage emerged of IDF soldiers vandalizing Palestinian homes. Video circulated on Instagram appears to show soldiers trashing apartments — breaking furniture and writing graffiti on walls. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the Tulkarem area during this period of military operations.
The Tulkarem camp had been the site of ongoing Israeli counter-terrorism operations targeting militant networks linked to Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in the West Bank. The IDF said the operations were aimed at dismantling armed infrastructure.
The vandalism of civilian property is prohibited under international humanitarian law regardless of the military context of the broader operation. Human rights organizations including B'Tselem and Yesh Din have documented multiple incidents of IDF soldiers vandalizing civilian property in the West Bank during military operations.
The IDF stated it takes violations of military conduct seriously and that soldiers who engage in misconduct face disciplinary action. Critics noted that such incidents have been documented repeatedly throughout the conflict without systematic accountability.