Five Palestinians, including three children, were injured Thursday evening during an incursion by Israeli forces into the city of Al-Bireh in the central occupied West Bank. The raid is part of an ongoing escalation in Palestinian cities and towns.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that its teams treated five injuries during the raid. According to the organization, three children were severely beaten by Israeli soldiers and subsequently transferred to a hospital for treatment. Two other Palestinians suffered from asphyxiation due to inhaling tear gas.
According to reports, Israeli forces advanced into Al-Quds Street in Al-Bireh, firing live ammunition towards a vehicle near Arrabee junction. No injuries were reported inside the vehicle. The forces also fired tear gas canisters extensively, leading to the asphyxiation of two young men. Concurrently, three children were detained and allegedly assaulted.
The incursion was accompanied by a heavy deployment of soldiers on main and secondary roads leading to the area, causing a partial closure of Arrabee junction and disrupting traffic flow.
Raids and clashes extended to other areas. Israeli forces reportedly stormed the towns of Hizma and Al-Ram northeast of occupied Jerusalem, and also raided the town of Al-Eizariya east of the city. No arrests were reported in those locations.
Violent clashes erupted in the towns of Turmusayya, Abu Falah, Aqraba, and al-Zubaidat between Palestinian youth and Israeli forces, with the latter using sound bombs and tear gas to disperse the crowds.
In a related incident, Palestinian youths targeted settler vehicles with stones and removed Israeli flags displayed along roads near the village of Turmusayya. A bus and several settler vehicles were also reportedly stoned near the village of Al-Lubban Al-Sharqiya, south of Nablus.
Additionally, Israeli bulldozers demolished two homes in the “Upper Cooperation” area of Nablus, in the northern West Bank, after storming the area with three bulldozers and several military vehicles, claiming the structures were built without permits.
Separately, three Palestinians were injured in an attack by settlers who set fire to three vehicles and vandalized a fourth. The incident highlights the escalating tensions in the region.
