Israeli forces kill 2 Palestinian children, others in West Bank

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
7 Dec 2023 00:31

The Israeli occupation forces brutally murder four Palestinians in the occupied West Bank as they crack down on the Palestinian people in the occupied territory.

Mourners carry the body of martyr Moath Zahran during his funeral at al-Fara Camp, West Bank, December 6, 2023 (AP)

The Israeli forces on Wednesday shot dead four Palestinians, two of whom were teenagers, in the northern region of the occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

The health ministry confirmed that 16-year-old Omar Abu Bakr was martyred due to "a bullet to the chest fired by Israeli occupation soldiers in Yabad."

Additionally, 24-year-old Abdul Nasser Mustafa Riyahi succumbed to his injuries and ascended to martyrdom after being shot in the Balata refugee camp near Nablus.

Official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that Israeli forces entered the Balata refugee camp in the morning, surrounding a house, and confrontations ensued, leading to the fatal shooting.

A Wafa statement read: "Confrontations broke out, during which the soldiers opened live fire at the Palestinians, injuring four. One of them later died of his wounds."

The health ministry had earlier disclosed that two other Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops in the West Bank's north earlier on Wednesday.

Countless crimes

Palestinian child Abdul Rahman Imad Khaled Bani Odeh, 16, and Moath Ibrahim Zahran, 23, lost their lives in the village of Tamun and the nearby al-Fara refugee camp, respectively.

An AFP correspondent in Tamun witnessed Israeli soldiers raiding the village for one of their regular arrest campaigns, which led to fierce confrontations.

In the Dheisheh refugee camp near Beit Lahm, three Palestinians were wounded by Israeli gunfire, with one in serious condition, according to a separate statement from the health ministry.

Israeli aggression in the West Bank has been growing over the past three-quarters of a century, however, there has been a noticeable uptick in crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces in the internationally recognized Palestinian territory since the start of Operation al-Aqsa Flood and the subsequent Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

According to the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli gunfire and settler attacks in the West Bank have resulted in the deaths of more than 250 Palestinians during the ongoing round of aggression.

IOF brutalize the West Bank

Earlier on Tuesday, the Israeli occupation forces conducted coordinated raids in various cities and towns in the West Bank, including Jenin, Areeha, and the Dheisheh camp in Beit Lahm, as well as towns to the north and west of Ramallah.

The IOF raided the city of Jenin with over 50 military vehicles and positioned snipers on the rooftops of several buildings during an hours-long raid on the city and its camp.

Local Palestinian media reported that occupation forces demolished infrastructure and property. Occupation bulldozers were observed destroying infrastructure that had not been targeted in previous raids.

In response, sources confirmed to Al Mayadeen that Resistance fighters employed improvised explosive devices (IEDs) to target occupation vehicles during the ongoing raid on the city of Jenin and the refugee camp. Local media reported confrontations between the Resistance and occupation forces in the city, persisting until the forces withdrew hours later.

The Israeli occupation has intensified its oppressive measures in the West Bank following Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7. Its aggression against Palestinians, which encompassed near-daily raids and executions, persisted through the 7-day truce in Gaza. The occupation continues to oppress Palestinians outside the Gaza Strip, hoping that it would suppress any voices or actions of solidarity with thousands killed by occupation bombs in the Gaza Strip.