Israeli army injures Palestinian, arrests 17 in occupied West Bank raids

By Awad Rjoob

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - A Palestinian was injured by Israeli gunfire and 17 others were arrested during Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank on Sunday, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society and state media reports.

In the northern West Bank city of Nablus, the Palestinian Red Crescent Society reported that its medical teams transported a young man to the hospital after he was shot by live ammunition in the Al-Ain refugee camp.

The official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported that during the raid on the camp, the Israeli army arrested three Palestinians and searched several homes in and around the camp.

The raids extended across the occupied West Bank, with the news agency reporting that a total of 17 Palestinians were arrested, including six from Al-Issawiya, north of Jerusalem.

On Saturday evening, the Israeli army carried out similar raids on several Palestinian villages and towns, leading to confrontations with residents, while Israeli settlers launched attacks on Palestinian property, according to witnesses.

Tensions have been running high across the West Bank since Israel launched a deadly military offensive against the Gaza Strip after an attack by the Hamas group on Oct. 7, 2023.

At least 620 Palestinians have since been killed and nearly 5,400 others injured by Israeli army fire in the occupied territory, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

In a landmark advisory opinion on July 19, the International Court of Justice 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.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi