Israeli army wounds child, man in occupied West Bank raids

Raids in northern West Bank

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said on Sunday that Israeli army gunfire wounded two Palestinians, including a child, during separate military operations in the northern occupied West Bank cities of Jenin and Qalqilya, as violence persists across the territory. The organization reported that its medical teams treated a 50-year-old man who sustained live ammunition injuries to his hand and leg during the raid in the Al-Jabriyat neighborhood of Jenin.

The wounded man was transferred to a hospital for further treatment following the incident in the northern city, while in Qalqilya, medical personnel treated a Palestinian child who was shot in the thigh during an Israeli military raid on the city, with the minor also hospitalized for care, according to the Red Crescent.

Escalating operations

The occupied West Bank has witnessed daily Israeli military raids and escalating attacks since the Gaza war began in October 2023. The Israeli army and settlers have carried out attacks involving killings and arrests of Palestinians, home demolitions, destruction of agricultural land and displacement, alongside continued settlement expansion.

Palestinian communities have faced increasing restrictions on movement and access to farmland as military operations intensified in northern cities, with rights groups documenting extensive property damage and civilian casualties resulting from the ongoing raids.

Annexation warnings

Palestinians have warned that the measures are paving the way for Israel to formally annex the occupied West Bank, saying such actions would undermine the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state under relevant UN resolutions. Settlement construction has accelerated in recent months despite international criticism.

The Palestinian Authority has repeatedly called for international protection amid the deteriorating security situation. Israeli military operations have expanded into refugee camps and urban centers with increasing frequency since early 2024.