Israeli Soldiers Invade Shuafat Refugee Camp, Besiege Fadi Abu Shkhaydam’s Home In Jerusalem

A WAFA report said that on February 1, 2022, 150 Israeli soldiers invaded the Shuafat refugee camp in the northeast of the holy city of Jerusalem and besieged the home of the martyr Fadi Abu Shkhaydam, who was martyred by occupation bullets on November 21 last year in the Old City of Jerusalem.

“People are very scared: On the other side of the wall, Jerusalem's Palestinians fight the coronavirus alone”

Middle East Eye

The same WAFA account said Israeli authorities gave orders to the occupation forces to devastate the interior of the martyr's house in order to fill it with concrete because there were adjacent houses.

Middle East Eye

WAFA further stated that the occupation forces broke down all the doors of the apartments and the parking lot, even though the order was only to seal off and concerned only the martyr's apartment.

It added that the death of Abu Shkhaydam was followed by punitive measures against his wife and children, including that even his eight-year-old son was arrested and questioned.

In the same WAFA framing, the broader demolition context included that in 2021, 69 houses were demolished and 342 Jerusalemites lost their shelter, including Palestinian children.

Middle East Eye described Shuafat refugee camp streets on Wednesday evening as a small group of Palestinian local officials walked with a megaphone saying, 'Protect those you love, stay at home!'

The same Middle East Eye report said Israel tightened lockdown measures in response to the coronavirus outbreak, which had already infected more than 4,500 people and caused 18 deaths in the country.

وكالة الانباء والمعلومات الفلسطينية

It reported that for the 60,000 residents of the Shuafat camp and surrounding neighborhoods, there was fear that the government would end up closing the checkpoint linking the overcrowded neighborhood to the rest of Jerusalem, cutting them off from the nearest health services.

Middle East Eye quoted Khaled al-Sheikh, head of the youth social center in the neighborhood, saying, "As an occupying state, Israel has a duty to take care of us."

The report also said Magen David Adom later confirmed to MEE that its ambulances do not enter these neighborhoods on orders from the army and police.

WAFA reported on May 13, 2026 that Israeli occupation authorities forced a Palestinian resident to demolish his own home in the Shuafat refugee camp north of occupied Jerusalem.

“Jerusalem, February 1, 2022, WAFA - Tuesday, 150 Israeli soldiers invaded the Shuafat refugee camp in the northeast of the holy city of Jerusalem and besieged the home of the martyr Fadi Abu Shkhaydam in the camp, who was martyred by occupation bullets on November 21 last year, in the Old City of Jerusalem”

وكالة الانباء والمعلومات الفلسطينية

The Jerusalem Governorate, as cited by WAFA, said Israeli authorities forced the al-Faqih family to demolish their under-construction home themselves after receiving a demolition order from the Israeli municipality.

WAFA said the family stated they had demolished their previous home months earlier to build a new house, but were surprised by a new demolition order during the construction phase.

It added that this prompted them to carry out the demolition themselves to avoid heavy fines and demolition costs imposed by Israeli authorities.

WAFA also stated that Israeli authorities routinely force Palestinians in occupied Jerusalem to demolish their own homes under the pretext of lacking building permits, and that those who refuse face demolition by Israeli bulldozers.