Jerusalem – Two young Palestinian men were wounded by Israeli occupation forces near Al-Ram, north of occupied Jerusalem, on Sunday. This comes amid ongoing raids and arrests throughout the West Bank. Reports from Israeli media suggest the military is accelerating measures to solidify its presence in the northern West Bank.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society stated that its teams transported two men, aged 30 and 34, to a hospital in Ramallah. Both sustained gunshot wounds to the thighs while attempting to cross the separation barrier in Al-Ram. Injuries near the separation wall around Jerusalem and along the West Bank-Israel border are a near-daily occurrence, often involving Palestinians, many of whom are workers seeking employment inside Israeli territory.
In separate incidents, Palestinian sources reported that Israeli forces arrested two recently released prisoners in the Ramallah and al-Bireh Governorate and in the village of Qira, Salfit Governorate, as part of a broader arrest campaign across the West Bank. Occupation forces also arrested an officer in the Palestinian police and his son after raiding their home in the town of al-Dhahiriya, south of Hebron.
In Nablus, Israeli forces stormed the Balata refugee camp, deploying foot soldiers in several neighborhoods. They raided and searched numerous homes, disrupting their contents. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities have placed Palestinian writer and researcher Sari Orabi under administrative detention for six months. Orabi was arrested from his home in Rafat, north of Jerusalem, on December 25th.
Reports indicate increased military activity. According to Haaretz, the Israeli military is currently accelerating its efforts to solidify its presence in the northern West Bank, purportedly to protect settlers. Previously, Yedioth Ahronoth cited military sources as stating that the Israeli army is considering deploying additional units to the West Bank. Settler violence in the occupied West Bank has escalated in recent months, often under the protection of occupation forces. These attacks have targeted Palestinian villages and towns, including instances of gunfire directed at residents.
