Operation “Capital Shield” – January 2026

The “Capital Shield” operation was launched on the night of Sunday, 11 January 2026 / early 12 January 2026 in and around the Shuafat Refugee Camp near Jerusalem as a large-scale "security campaign" by Israeli police and Border Guard forces. It involved hundreds of Israeli police and Border Guard personnel carrying out coordinated security raids in the camp with the pretexted goal of "combating criminal elements, terrorism infrastructure, and maintaining order". Jerusalem District Police described “Capital Shield” as a strategic, ongoing operational program to increase security and law enforcement presence in the area around Jerusalem, including refugee localities like Shuafat.

Israel Police @israelpolice stated on X on 12 janv. "Overnight, Jerusalem District police and Border Police operated in Shuafat as part of the “Shield of the Capital” framework, targeting crime and terror. Eight suspects were arrested, and illegal firearms, ammunition, drugs, and military-style equipment were seized".

During the raids in the refugee camp on 12 January 2026, at least eight people were arrested and according to the Israeli press "weapons, ammunition, drugs, and stolen military equipment were seized".

Perpetrators:

1. According to Israel.com "This is a large-scale operational plan that was formulated upon the assumption of the position of Jerusalem District Commander, Major General Avshalom Peled, as a strategic response to the need to strengthen sovereignty and deepen governance in the area surrounding Jerusalem and the villages adjacent to the fence. The operation focuses on offensive and proactive activity in the heart of the area, while combining precise intelligence with advanced operational capabilities, with the aim of increasing the personal security of all residents of Jerusalem in particular and Israel in general". According to Jerusalem Post, on January 12 by night, the Jerusalem district commander arrived at the Israel Border Police base in the Jerusalem perimeter to observe field operations, accompanied by the Jerusalem perimeter commander, Deputy Commander Eran Levi. "A new and significant phase in the defense of Jerusalem," Chief Avshalom Peled told Maariv.

2. Israeli police and Border Guard forces

January 14:

Israeli forces have stormed the Shuafat refugee camp in occupied Jerusalem for a third consecutive day, carrying out raids and arrests. Large numbers of soldiers, including undercover units, have entered the camp’s streets and neighborhoods, firing stun grenades and tear gas and raiding homes and shops. Local eyewitness accounts and social media footage show Israeli forces detaining several Palestinian youths and assaulting residents during these operations. They were seen arresting 8 residents at dawn. Later in the afternooon, dozens of police officers drove in the street of the camp, using loudspeakers for thraetening the residents: “To the residents of the Shuafat refugee camp, this is Captain Hilal. We have come to pay you a visit. Anyone who wants to meet me should come to me. Anyone who wags their tail, we will cut it off.”

Broader context:

Out of the 19 Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank, Shu'fat Refugee Camp is unique in that it is located in the municipality of Jerusalem and is the responsibility of the Israeli state. The camp is a microcosm of the occupation evolving from ethnic cleansing, historical events and military control by raiding it several times by months. It is the only camp that is impacted by the Separation Wall and has a checkpoint guarded by the IDF. The camp is surrounded on three sides by the Wall and the residents have to show ID to exit and enter.