Israeli army kills Palestinian in Qalandiya incursion
At least 10 Palestinians injured by live fire in clashes with Israeli army in occupied West Bank refugee camp.
Israeli forces have killed a Palestinian and injured several more by live ammunition during an incursion into a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.
Eyad Omar Sajadiya, 22, was shot dead, while at least 10 others were injured by live fire during Tuesday morning’s clashes with Israeli troops in the Qalandiya refugee camp, according to Palestinian medical sources.
The armed clashes broke out after an army Jeep entered the camp – situated between occupied East Jerusalem and the central West Bank city of Ramallah – by mistake, an Israeli police spokesperson told the AFP news agency.
Palestinian protests against Israel’s occupation have increased and tensions have soared in the occupied territories and Israel since October, as anger gave way to violence.
A wave of violence in Israel and the Palestinian territories since October has killed 178 Palestinians as well as 28 Israelis, an American, a Sudanese and an Eritrean, according to an AFP toll.
Before dawn on Monday morning, Israeli forces carried out raids in cities and towns across the West Bank, arresting at least 27 Palestinians.
In a statement, the Israeli army said the two men – Nazar Badi, 23, and Akram Badi, 23 – both confessed to carrying out at least five shooting attacks targeting Israeli settlers in Hebron’s Old City between November and January, according to the Palestinian Ma’an News Agency.
Hebron is divided into three spheres of control – including full Palestinian Authority administration, joint administration between Israeli military forces and PA police, and full Israeli control.
Amid the 37,000 Palestinians that live there, thousands of soldiers are stationed in the “H2 area” of the city – under full Israeli military control – to protect the 600-strong Jewish settler population.
Dozens of Israeli military checkpoints severely restrict Palestinian movement into, out of and within Hebron.
Upwards of half-a-million Israelis live in more than 150 Jewish-only settlements across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, according to the Israeli rights group B’Tselem.