5 Palestinian children suffer tear gas injuries during Israeli raid in West Bank

By Aysar Alais

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - Five Palestinian children suffered tear gas inhalation injuries Wednesday after Israeli forces deployed tear gas during a raid in the town of Al-Khader in western Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported teams “treated five children affected by tear gas during clashes in Al-Khader and transported them to the hospital for treatment.”

Israeli forces entered the town earlier and stationed themselves near the main mosque in the town center, sparking clashes with youngsters, witnesses told Anadolu.

Witnesses said troops fired sound bombs and tear gas toward residents and homes, leaving several people, including the five children, struggling to breathe.

The incident took place as the Israeli military continued operations in Jenin and its refugee camp in the northern West Bank. Two Palestinian men and a woman were injured during the Jenin raid, according to Ibn Sina Hospital and the Red Crescent.

Beginning early Wednesday, Israeli forces launched a large-scale military operation in Jenin, leading to heavy clashes.

Witnesses reported that troops, supported by bulldozers, entered Jenin from multiple directions and positioned snipers throughout the city and around the camp.

Gunfire and explosions were reportedly heard as forces engaged in clashes with Palestinian resistance fighters.

In a separate incident late Tuesday, the Israeli military withdrew from Tulkarem and nearby refugee camps in the north, as well as the town of Qabatiya, after hours of raids.

On Tuesday, Israeli forces killed eight Palestinians through gunfire and airstrikes: four in Qabatiya, two in the village of Muthalath al-Shuhada in southern Jenin and two in the town of Tammun in southern Tubas.

The Israeli military has conducted regular raids in the West Bank in recent years, which have escalated with the beginning of the onslaught against the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023.

Palestinians have also been violently attacked by illegal Israeli settlers.

More than 777 Palestinians have since been killed and over 6,300 injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

The escalation follows a landmark opinion in July by the International Court of Justice that declared Israel's decades-long occupation of Palestinian land “illegal” and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.