The Transformation in Tulkarm Refugee Camp

The alleys are cast in a permanent semidarkness, shrouded by black nylon tarpaulins shielding Palestinian fighters from Israeli drones. Green Hamas flags and banners commemorating “martyrs” adorn the buildings, many bearing scars from Israeli raids and airstrikes aimed at quelling the rising militancy in the area, sparked by the conflict in Gaza.

This is not Gaza or a typical Hamas stronghold. It is a refugee camp in Tulkarm, located in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, where the historically moderate Palestinian faction of Fatah had long held influence.

I had the opportunity to meet a local militant commander, Muhammad Jaber, 25, within one of the dilapidated alleyways. As one of Israel’s most wanted individuals, he and his fellow fighters have shifted loyalties from the more moderate Fatah faction, dominant in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, towards more radical groups like Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad following the Hamas-led assault on Israel on Oct. 7.

When asked about the key lesson learned from the conflict in Gaza, Mr. Jaber paused before responding, “Patience. And strength. And courage.”

Refugee camps in the northern West Bank, such as the one in Tulkarm, have long been hubs of militant activity, predating the Gaza conflict, as fighters resisted escalating Israeli settlement expansions and the stalled peace process in achieving a Palestinian state. Post-Oct. 7, Hamas issued a call for Palestinians to join the uprising against Israel, a call that resonated with some residents in these camps.

Militants like Mr. Jaber aspire to drive the Israelis out of the West Bank, which has been under Israeli occupation since the 1967 war. Some factions, like Hamas, advocate for the complete expulsion of Israelis from the region altogether.