Young Palestinian dies of wounds from Israeli fire in West Bank

By Mohammed Ghifari and Muhammed Emin Canik

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – A young Palestinian succumbed to critical injuries he sustained after being shot by Israeli forces during a military raid Monday morning in a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

Israeli forces also detained three Palestinians who were injured by Israeli fire in the Aqbet Jaber refugee camp.

In a statement, Jericho and Jordan Valley Governor Jihad Yousef Abu al-Asal identified the victim as Slaiman Ayesh, saying his body is being held by Israel.

Eyewitnesses said the raid triggered clashes with angry Palestinians during which Israeli forces used live fire, rubber-coated bullets, and tear gas canisters. Palestinians responded by burning tires and throwing stones and glass bottles at vehicles of Israeli forces.

The Israeli army has yet to issue a statement regarding the raid.

Separately, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that Israeli forces Monday raided the home of Palestinian journalist Osama al-Issa in the Dheisheh refugee camp to the south of Bethlehem in search of the journalist’s son.

Osama al-Issa said that Israeli soldiers raided his home four times in the last 40 days to detain his son and that his belongings were damaged during the search.

The Palestinian Prisoner Society in a written statement announced that Israeli forces detained at least 30 people in the occupied West Bank from Sunday evening until Monday morning.

Earlier this month, Israeli forces stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex and forcibly removed Muslim worshippers, escalating tensions across the Palestinian territories.

The raids triggered a rocket attack from the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, while Israel retaliated with airstrikes.

For Muslims, Al-Aqsa represents the world’s third-holiest site. Jews call the area the Temple Mount, saying it was the site of two ancient Jewish temples.

Israel occupied East Jerusalem during the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. It annexed the entire city in 1980, a move never recognized by the international community.