Israeli occupation forces stormed several West Bank towns early on Saturday.
A seven-year-old Palestinian child was killed after a landmine left by the Israeli army exploded in an area east of Bethlehem, while two other Palestinians were injured by live ammunition elsewhere in the occupied West Bank.
In a statement, the Ministry of Health confirmed that Muhammad Al-Rashaydeh was killed as a result of the landmine exploding in the al-Rashaydeh area on Friday, the official Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.
Earlier, a 15-year-old youth was shot in the knee during confrontations with Israeli occupation forces who raided the town of Beit Furik east of Nablus.
Clashes erupted after the Israeli army stormed the Al-Naqqar neighborhood, firing live rounds, stun grenades and tear gas, reported the Anadolu news agency.
Israeli occupation forces storm Hebron city in the occupied West Bank. pic.twitter.com/PulIBXY1pE
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 21, 2024
Also on Friday, a disabled man, aged 25, was shot in the knee with live ammunition fired by occupation forces in the Wadi Qana area, near the town of Deir Istiya, northwest of Salfit, according to WAFA.
On Saturday morning, Israeli occupation forces stormed the occupied West Bank towns of Hebron (al-Khalil), Alar, north of Tulkarm, Burqa, northwest of Nablus, as well as Aboud, northwest of Ramallah, the Quds News Network (QNN) reported.
Strike in Jenin
QNN also reported that a strike had been declared in the town of Jenin on Saturday in protest at the ongoing crackdown by the Palestinian Authority on resistance groups in the area.
The city of Jenin, in the occupied West Bank, has declared a strike in protest of the ongoing crackdown by the Palestinian Authority against resistance groups in the region. pic.twitter.com/Cv0IOSOQdW
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) December 21, 2024
The PA’s operation, ongoing for more than 15 days, has resulted in clashes with resistance forces as well as the deaths of three Palestinians, including field commander Yazid Ja’ayseh and 12-year-old Mohammed Al-Amer, who were killed during confrontations.
A commander of the Jenin Battalion – affiliated with the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad Movement – has spoken out against the PA’s ongoing operation in the Jenin refugee camp.
Jenin Commander: ‘We Will Not Disarm under Palestinian Authority Pressure’
In an interview with Al-Jazeera on Wednesday, the commander accused the PA of acting against the resistance, emphasizing that disarming their fighters is not an option. The commander also revealed that the Jenin Battalion had reached out to the PA’s security forces in an effort to resolve the escalating situation, but their appeals were dismissed.
Resistance Fighters Killed
The Israeli army has escalated raids in the West Bank in recent days with six Palestinians killed in the occupied territory on Thursday, including four resistance fighters killed in an airstrike on their vehicle in Tulkarm.
Israeli bulldozers also demolished roads and infrastructure in the town, soon thereafter.
The moment 4 Palestinians were executed by an Israeli air strike that targeted their vehicle in Tulkarm city, today. pic.twitter.com/VoNv16vWTj
— Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) December 19, 2024
In Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, Israeli occupation forces killed two Palestinians, including an 80-year-old Palestinian woman, during a military raid. Several others were injured during the incursion.
Settlers Storm Village
Illegal Israeli settlers also stormed the village of Burqa and attacked Palestinian farmers in the area, reported QNN.
WAFA reported that the farmers were attacked in an attempt to force them to leave the area.
Mosque Attacked
Early on Friday morning, illegal Jewish settlers set fire to the Bar Al-Walidain Mosque in the town of Marda, near Salfit in the northern occupied West Bank, and left racist slogans on the walls, including ‘Death to Arabs’.
West Bank Mosque Set Ablaze by Illegal Jewish Settlers – Racist Slogans Left Behind
Eyewitnesses said that settlers entered the eastern neighborhood of Marda, broke one of the mosque’s gates, and threw incendiary materials inside, resulting in a blaze that caused significant damage.
(PC, WAFA, QNN, Anadolu)
