Israel detains Palestinians in renewed West Bank raids
Jan 01, 2024
Gaza [Palestine], January 1: Israeli forces have arrested at least four Palestinians and wounded 17 others after conducting nightlong raids in the occupied West Bank cities during which they fired drones, according to Al Jazeera's Nida Ibrahim.
Two overnight drone attacks on the Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem caused the injuries, said Ibrahim, reporting from Ramallah, citing medical sources.
During the raids, Israeli forces also blocked the entrance to two hospitals in the area, delaying many of the wounded from receiving treatment.
It was the fourth time Israeli forces had stormed the area in less than a week, said Ibrahim, as they pursued a small group of armed men they regularly clash with during such incursions.
In Tulkarem, Israeli military vehicles fired "live rounds and flares" over the camp, while stationing snipers on the top of local buildings, reported the Palestinian Wafa news agency.
Israeli forces raided several other Palestinian towns overnight, including near Jericho, Hebron, and occupied East Jerusalem, in operations that are becoming a near-nightly occurrence.
On Friday, Israel arrested at least 14 Palestinians from West Bank towns.
During the incursions, Israeli forces arrested at least four Palestinians, according to Ibrahim, adding to more than 4,800 they have taken from the West Bank and East Jerusalem since the Gaza war broke out on October 7.
Israel regularly holds Palestinians in jail without charge under a system of administrative detention that rights groups say is a tool to "persecute Palestinians".
Ibrahim said Palestinians view the raids as a reminder of "who has the upper hand - who has the control" over their lives.
Since October 7, Israeli military raids and settler attacks have killed over 300 Palestinians, including 79 children, prompting the United Nations last week to urge for an end to the "unlawful killings".
More than 500 people have been killed in the occupied territory this year, according to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, making it "the deadliest year on record" for Palestinians.
Source: Qatar Tribune
