Palestinian critically injured by Israeli army in West Bank

By Awad Rajoob

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) - A Palestinian man was critically wounded Sunday after being shot by the Israeli army in a village northeast of Ramallah in the central West Bank.

The man, who sustained a critical injury to the abdomen, arrived at the Palestine Medical Complex from the village of Al-Mughayyir, the Palestinian Ministry of Health said in a statement.

Witnesses reported to Anadolu that Israeli forces raided the village earlier in the day, leading to clashes with residents, during which the Israeli army used live fire.

The village has been subjected to repeated attacks by illegal Israeli settlers since Friday, resulting in one fatality and 45 gunshot injuries, including five in critical condition, Palestine's official news agency WAFA quoted Marzouq Abu Naim, the deputy head of the village, as saying.

According to Abu Naim, the attacks also resulted in the burning of 16 homes, 10 of which were completely destroyed, along with 60 vehicles and 15 sheep pens.

Illegal settlers backed by the army stormed the Ein Samiya area east of the village of Kafr Malik and assaulted several workers, injuring one of them and kidnapping him, WAFA added.

Illegal settlers on Friday launched a massive attack on the village of Al-Mughayyir, resulting in the killing of a young man and the injury of dozens of Palestinians, besides 40 homes and dozens of vehicles being torched.

The settlers on Saturday renewed their attacks on several Palestinian villages and towns in Ramallah and Nablus.

Tensions have been running high across the West Bank since Israel launched a military offensive against the Gaza Strip after a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year.

While illegal settlers increased their attacks, the Israeli army escalated its operations, killing at least 463 Palestinians, injuring 4,750 and detaining more than 8,000 others, according to Palestinian sources.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio in Istanbul