Israeli forces have entered homes and shops in the occupied West Bank’s Qalandiya refugee camp, near Ramallah, issuing demolition threats against businesses.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said on Wednesday that eight Palestinian people were taken to hospital after suffering injuries.
Mohammad Aslan, spokesman for the committee that runs the affairs of the camp, told the AFP news agency that the Israeli army had arrested at least 20 people and took up positions on residents’ roofs.
In 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government advanced plans for the construction of an illegal 9,000-unit settlement on the grounds of Jerusalem’s former Atarot airport, adjacent to Qalandiya.
Palestinian residents have since voiced fear that raids and home demolitions could be tied to a strategy of eviction before illegal settlement construction, without any official word from Israeli authorities.
A man walks past Israeli forces during the raid in the Qalandiya refugee camp, south of Ramallah. [Zain Jaafar/AFP] Advertisement The operation comes amid a surge in Israeli raids across the occupied West Bank, with Palestinians saying the number has risen to about 50 raids per day in recent weeks. [Zain Jaafar/AFP] Journalists covering the raid say they have been targeted while performing their duties, with one of the reporters assaulted by Israeli soldiers. [Zain Jaafar/AFP] The purpose of the raid remains unclear, with residents questioning whether it is linked to arrests, intelligence operations or further restrictions on the camp. [Zain Jaafar/AFP] The Palestine Red Crescent Society said that eight people were taken to hospital after suffering injuries. [Zain Jaafar/AFP] Residents say Israeli forces have also shut down businesses in areas under Jerusalem municipality boundaries. [Zain Jaafar/AFP] Advertisement Members of Israeli security forces patrol along a busy street during the military raid in the Qalandiya refugee camp. [Zain Jaafar/AFP]
