Eurasia Press & News
Israeli forces stormed Ramallah and raided an exchange office, injuring dozens of people, amid further raids in Jerusalem and across the West Bank
The Palestinian Ministry of Health said on Tuesday that 33 Palestinians were injured when Israeli forces stormed Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, using live fire, rubber bullets and tear gas.
Among the wounded was a 13-year-old boy shot in the abdomen with live rounds and rushed into surgery.
During the raid, Israeli forces entered the headquarters of Ajjouli Exchange Company in central Ramallah, confiscated all contents and arrested several employees. Soldiers posted an order on the door declaring the company “illegal” and banned from operating.
The Palestinian Red Crescent said its teams treated 58 people in Ramallah, including eight wounded by live fire, 14 hit with rubber bullets, five with shrapnel, and 31 suffering from tear gas suffocation.
It confirmed that “a 71-year-old man was evacuated from the produce market to hospital” and that a Palestinian was shot in the hand at al-Manara Square. The society also reported five cases of suffocation among women, including two pregnant, in the same area.
Local sources told The New Arab’s Arabic edition Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that a special Israeli unit first infiltrated the city centre, followed by large reinforcements that spread through the streets and al-Manara Square.
They said troops arrested a child, an elderly man who was wounded, and a taxi driver during the operation.
The same sources added that Israeli forces “fired rubber-coated bullets at the vehicle of a crew from Jordan’s Roya TV while they covered the raid,” though no injuries were reported.
Organisers of a prisoners’ sit-in and a demonstration at the al-Bireh Cultural Centre demanding the return of bodies of Palestinians killed by Israel said they were forced to evacuate due to the raid.
In Jerusalem, groups of Israelis entered Al-Aqsa Mosque under police protection on Tuesday morning. The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that dozens of settlers stormed the mosque, and performed provocative Jewish rituals while singing loudly.
The incursions followed a mass gathering of tens of thousands of Israelis at the Western Wall on Monday evening, called by the settler-run Western Wall Heritage Foundation to hold prayers throughout September ahead of the Jewish New Year on 23 September.
The foundation said it would erect 19 platforms at the Wall for the prayers and encourage tours of the Old City.
Al-Araby Al-Jadeed also cited Hassan Mlihhat, coordinator of the Bedouin rights group al-Bedour, who said settlers attacked the Shakara community near Duma, south of Nablus, at dawn Tuesday, “targeting citizens and their property”. He added that such nightly attacks have escalated since the announcement of the E1 settlement plan.
Mlihhat said Israeli forces arrested Muadh Hammadah from Masafer Yatta after villagers repelled a settler raid, while settlers – with army protection – stole 20 camels from a Bedouin family on Monday night. He said soldiers also detained foreign activists and prevented them from filming.
In Hebron, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported that Israeli special forces arrested a Palestinian National Security officer inside Cairo Amman Bank. Nine army jeeps entered Bab al-Zawiya area, according to merchant committee head Yousef Abu Aisha, who described a tense atmosphere around the markets.
Elsewhere near Idhna, west of Hebron, Palestinians were injured after soldiers assaulted them and fired stun grenades. Israeli forces also carried out further raids and arrests across the West Bank.
