Israeli forces launched predawn raids, arrests in the occupied West Bank
We received reports from our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic of a wave of predawn raids that took place across the occupied West Bank this morning:
- The raids include special forces storming the Kafr Aqab neighbourhood in the north of occupied East Jerusalem.
- A Palestinian man has been taken by Israeli forces from the town of Zawata, west of Nablus city.
- Israeli military reinforcements have been deployed to Yasid town, north of Nablus, including military bulldozers.
- Troops have stormed the Am’ari refugee camp north of el-Bireh city in the occupied West Bank.
Two Palestinian children age 12, 13 ‘shot in the back’ and killed by Israeli soldiers
Two Palestinian children shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank were shot in the back, child rights workers said.
Defence for Children International – Palestine (DCIP) identified the two children as Ayman Al-Hemouni, 12, from Hebron and Rimas Ammouri, a 13-year-old girl from Jenin.
We previously reported that the children were both 13 years old.
Ayman was near the home of a family member in the Hebron area when he was “shot in the back by an Israeli soldier” on Friday evening. Rimas was shot while standing in the courtyard of her family home in the Jenin area on Friday afternoon, the organisation said.
An Israeli soldier in an armoured car, stationed approximately 50 metres (164 feet) from Rimas, fired at least five bullets into the courtyard where she was standing, hitting her in the back, DCIP said.
“Both Ayman and Rimas were targeted suddenly and without warning in the back with lethal force by Israeli soldiers safely positioned inside armoured vehicles,” DCIP’s Ayed Abu Eqtaish said.
“Israeli forces have nothing but contempt for Palestinian children’s lives and systemic impunity means they will face no consequences,” Abu Eqtaish said.
Israeli forces conduct raids, make arrests across occupied West Bank
As Israel is expected to release more than 600 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for six captives released from Gaza, its soldiers have been making more arrests in the occupied West Bank.
Israeli forces raided across the occupied territories today, including in Nablus, Bethlehem and Hebron, according to the Wafa news agency. Here are a number of confirmed arrests made today:
- Three Palestinians were arrested at dawn in Nablus after Israeli forces raided homes and commercial stores in several areas.
- Three were arrested from Arab al-Kaabneh Elementary School, northwest of Jericho, after a raid during which students and teachers were also harassed.
- A young man was arrested after his vehicle was stopped and searched on Arrana street, east of Jenin city.
- During a dawn raid on the village of Luban Ash-Sharqiya, south of Nablus, a 28-year-old man was arrested after his home was attacked.
Israeli soldiers raid West Bank homes of Palestinian prisoners to be released
Israeli forces have raided the occupied West Bank homes of a number of Palestinian prisoners who are expected to be released within hours as part of a seventh handover.
Israeli soldiers threatened their families and told them not to hold any celebratory events, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office (ASRA).
According to the monitor, homes were stormed in villages and towns in Ramallah, Hebron and Bethlehem.
Israeli authorities have made similar moves during previous releases, also preventing families from getting near the military detention centres from which prisoners were released.
