Refugee camp fire caused by Israeli army blowing up house

The Israeli army blew up a house in Al-Manshiya neighbourhood, inside Nur Shams camp, causing a fire which spread to nearby houses.

Ayman Kanouh, the owner of the house, told MEE that Israeli soldiers were preventing fire crews from reaching the neighbourhood to extinguish the blaze. He said the fire may exacerbate due to the presence of gas pipes in the basement.

Kanouh said there were dozens of cases of smoke inhalation due to the continuous flames. The Israeli army also fired sound bombs at anyone trying to approach the burning house.

“We left the house a few hours before it was stormed, but the houses in the neighbourhood are close together, which led to the fire spreading,” he said.

The affected homes were “inhabited by the elderly and sick”, but Israeli troops were “still preventing us from going there,” Kanouh added.

“Diabetics need medication, and elderly people are suffering from smoke inhalation. Soldiers prevent them from leaving their homes, which are in danger of burning.”

The army imposed a complete siege on Al-Manshiya, preventing the transfer of the body of a Palestinian with special needs killed by Israeli soldiers on Wednesday evening.