The Tulkarm Brigade or Tulkarm Battalion () is a Palestinian militant group in the West Bank which is affiliated with various Palestinian political factions. The Tulkarm Brigade appeared first in March 2022 in the Palestinian city of Tulkarm in the West Bank, and is based in the city of Tulkarm and its camps. The battalion was established in late 2021 as a group for the

Al-Quds Brigades Al-Quds Brigades (, ''Sarāyā al-Quds'' meaning "Jerusalem Brigades") is a paramilitary organisation and the armed wing of the Palestinian Islamist organization Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), which is the second largest armed group in th ...

, although it became independent in March 2022 with its founder Saif Abu Labdeh. Many fighters from

Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades Al-Qassam Brigades, also known as the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (EQB; ), are the military wing of the Palestinian nationalist Sunni Islamist organization Hamas. Led by Mohammed Deif until his death on 13 July 2024, Al-Qassam Brigades ar ...

joined this group, and in early 2023 many

Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades () are a Fatah-aligned coalition of Palestinian armed groups in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Created in 2000 amidst the Second Intifada, the Brigades previously operated as the official armed wing of the F ...

members joined the battalion under the name "Rapid Response Group" founded by

Amir Abu Khadijeh Amir Imad Amin Abu Khadijeh (; January 13, 1999 – March 23, 2023) was a Palestinian militant and former leader of the Tulkarm Brigade. He was from the city of Tulkarm. According to Israeli sources, Khadijeh, who was involved in multiple shootin ...

Activities

On 30 May 2023, the group killed a 32-year-old illegal Israeli settler near the

Hermesh Hermesh () is an Israeli settlement in the western Samarian hills of the West Bank. Founded in 1984, it is organised as a community settlement and falls under the jurisdiction of Shomron Regional Council. In it had a population of . The intern ...

settlement. On 5 October 2023, the group clashed with Israeli forces attacking Tulkarm, resulting in five injuries, including three seriously injured. On 19 October 2023, the group confronted Israeli forces attacking the Tulkarm refugee camp and the Nur Shams refugee camp, causing the death of one Israeli officer and 10 injuries. On 23 March 2024, the group claimed to have infiltrated the occupied territories near Al-Deir Gate, attacking a vehicle and causing the deaths of at least four Israeli soldiers. On 18 April 2024, Israeli forces launched a two day wide-scale incursion attack on the

Nur Shams Nur Shams () is a Palestinian refugee camp in the Tulkarm Governorate in the northwestern West Bank, located east of Tulkarm. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, Nur Shams had a population of 6,479 inhabitants in 2007 and ...

refugee camp of Tulkarm. The group engaged in clashes using homemade explosive devices and rifles. The IDF claimed 9 injuries among its forces, and at least 10 brigade members killed during the raid. On May 29, 2024 the group led a series of attacks on the

Bat Hefer Bat Hefer () is a community settlement in the Sharon plain in Israel. Located east of Netanya and adjacent to two kibbutzim; Bahan and Yad Hana, it covers 1,000 dunams and falls under the jurisdiction of the Hefer Valley Regional Council. The ...

community resulting in property damage. The group also claimed to infiltrate the community and raid a house, seizing a machine gun and pistol. On 24 June 2024, the group remotely detonated two explosive devices targeting the Bat Hefer community. No casualties were reported. On 1 July 2024, the group clashed with Israeli forces in the Nur Shams refugee camp. With a homemade explosive, the group managed to disable an Israeli

Namer APC Namer (, ; meaning "leopard," and also a syllabic abbreviation of "Nagmash" (APC) and "Merkava") is an Israeli armoured personnel carrier based on a Merkava Mark IV tank chassis. Namer was developed by and is being assembled by the Israeli Ord ...

and an Israeli Panther armored vehicle, resulting in the death of one Israeli soldier and one severely injured. On 17 July 2024, the group detonated an explosive near the Hermesh settlement, injuring four Israelis, including two off-duty soldiers and two settlers. On 26 July 2024, various groups within the Tulkarm Brigade declared a general mobilization in support of leader Abu Shujaa, who was allegedly besieged by the Palestinian Authority while receiving treatment at the Martyr Dr. Thabet Thabet Hospital. The mobilization prevented his arrest. On 29 August 2024, Shujaa was killed alongside four other fighters during an Israeli attack in Nur Shams.

References

{{Hamas Military units and formations established in 2022 Anti-Israeli sentiment in Palestine Resistance movements Palestinian militant groups Tulkarm in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine Hamas Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades