Israeli forces kill Palestinian, besiege mosque as West Bank raids intensify

By Qais Abu Samra, Zain Khalil, and Tarek Chouiref

RAMALLAH, Palestine/ISTANBUL (AA) - Israeli forces carried out a series of raids and shooting incidents across the occupied West Bank early Sunday, killing a Palestinian in Hebron, besieging a mosque and arresting two others in Nablus, while the Israeli army said one of its soldiers was wounded during armed clashes.

In the northern city of Nablus, eyewitnesses told Anadolu that undercover Israeli units infiltrated the Old City before large military reinforcements entered from several directions, spreading through residential alleys and market areas amid heavy gunfire.

Israeli forces surrounded Al-Satoun Mosque in the Yasmina neighborhood, trapping dozens of worshippers inside after dawn prayers. The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said it coordinated with the International Committee of the Red Cross to evacuate those inside, confirming that at least 12 worshippers were allowed to leave, while others remained held for hours.

During the operation, Israeli troops arrested two Palestinians, identified by witnesses as Loay Shaaban and Hamido Zakari.

The Israeli army later said one of its soldiers was moderately wounded after coming under fire during the raid, adding that the injured soldier was taken to the hospital and that forces had launched a pursuit of the gunman. Israeli military radio reported exchanges of fire with Palestinian fighters inside the Old City.

Separately, in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian overnight and withheld his body, according to Palestinian authorities.

The Palestinian Civil Affairs Authority identified the man as Shaker Falah Ahmad al-Jaabari, 58, saying he was killed late Saturday. Palestinian media reported that Israeli forces prevented an ambulance from reaching him in the Khallat Hadour area, denying him medical aid.

The Israeli army claimed the man attempted to carry out a vehicular attack in the Sheikh neighborhood of Hebron, saying no Israeli soldiers were injured. The claim could not be independently verified.

Israeli forces and illegal settlers have killed at least 1,104 Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, injured nearly 11,000, and detained around 21,000 since October 2023, Palestinian figures showed.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.