Israeli forces wound two Palestinians in West Bank raid

Two Palestinians sustained gunshot wounds during an Israeli military operation in the occupied West Bank town of Kafr Aqab late Thursday. According to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, medical teams treated one individual for a wound below the knee and a 17-year-old boy for a foot injury, both caused by live ammunition.

Details of the Kafr Aqab Operation

Witnesses reported that Israeli army and police units entered the town, pursued several youths, and deployed live fire and stun grenades. The forces also imposed movement restrictions, closing several roads and limiting the passage of both residents and vehicles in the area during the raid.

A Pattern of Escalating Violence

This incident occurred within a context of intensified military activity across the West Bank. On the same day, Israeli forces shot and killed a Palestinian man in the town of Qabatiya, south of Jenin. Earlier, a Palestinian child was killed by Israeli fire while playing football in the village of Ar-Rihiya, south of Hebron.

The Broader Context of Occupation

Local Palestinian authorities report that since the Gaza war began in October 2023, over 1,000 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, approximately 10,000 wounded, and more than 20,000 arrested, including 1,600 children. This ongoing violence takes place against the backdrop of a July opinion from the International Court of Justice, which declared Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements.