Two children killed in Balata

Two children have been killed by Israeli occupation troops in the besieged Balata refugee camp, which is experiencing its sixth day of a massive Israeli military invasion.

Israeli troops drive through the camp announcing a curfew

Aljazeera correspondents in the West Bank reported that a five-year-old boy was killed on Sunday when Israeli soldiers opened fire in the refugee camp.

The five-year-old has been named as Muhammad Naim Tesrida who was shot in the chest while playing near his house in Balata. Medics reported that Tesrida died shortly after he was shot.

Another boy died earlier today from injuries he received five days ago when he was hit in the head by a rubber bullet fired by the Israeli military.

Aljazeera correspondents have named the dead boy, 13, as Nur Imran, who was taken to a hospital in Nablus four days ago where he fell into a coma.

A local man told Aljazeera.net Imran had been in Balata to visit his grandparents when soldiers opened fire.

“Nur Emran was visiting his grandfather in the camp, his family live in a nearby village close to Balata. He was out on the street with other children when he was hit by a bullet in the head. He was bleeding heavily before he was taken away by medical workers. We have heard today that he died.”

Balata invasion

Eight other Palestinians are reported to have been injured as a result of the Israeli invasion into the camp, one of the biggest launched in Balata in recent times.

A Balata family view the damagesoldiers caused to their home
A Balata family view the damagesoldiers caused to their home

A Balata family view the damage
soldiers caused to their home

A resident of the camp told Aljazeera.net that earlier today an Israeli army bulldozer had been used to create a roadblock in the entrance of the refugee camp which is home to an estimated  20,000 refugees who were displaced following the creation of the state of Israel in 1948.

“Things are calmer today, and we have been told that this invasion will last for one more day before the Israeli’s leave the camp. Soldiers are still occupying homes in the camp, and they have destroyed roads nearby and damaged buildings”, said a resident who did not want to be named for fear of reprisals from the army.

Gaza demolitions

Meanwhile, Aljazeera correspondents in Gaza are reporting that occupation soliders have invaded the Rafah refugee camp, on the southern side of the Gaza strip. 

Witnesses have told Aljazeera the Israeli military have demolished five homes in the camp and have levelled a further 20 houses that they had destroyed earlier.

In October, the Israeli military launched a massive invasion of the Rafah refugee camp and town near the Egyptian border. Eight Palestinians were killed and nearly 15,000 people were made homeless when soldiers demolished 100 homes.

Source: Al Jazeera