IOF Shoot 12 Palestinians amid Expanding West Bank Raids
Raids, Land Seizures, and Arrests Escalate as Occupation Forces Target Workers and Farmers
Palestine, PUREWILAYAH.COM – Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have shot and wounded twelve Palestinian workers near the apartheid wall in Wadi al-Hummus, east of Beit Lahm, as part of a broad campaign of raids and repression sweeping across the occupied West Bank.
12 Workers Shot near the Apartheid Wall
According to medical sources and the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), the victims were targeted by heavy gunfire as they attempted to cross near the apartheid wall to reach their workplaces.
The PRCS confirmed that its emergency crews treated several individuals hit by live ammunition, noting that the injuries ranged from moderate to serious. All wounded were transported to Beit Jala Governmental Hospital for urgent treatment.
Eyewitnesses described the attack as a “premeditated ambush,” with Israeli forces opening fire without warning on groups of unarmed laborers. The assault also extended to nearby Beit Sahour, where additional gunfire was reported.
Medical Crews Blocked from Reaching the Wounded
In Qalqilya, the Red Crescent reported that Israeli occupation troops prevented medical teams from reaching a Palestinian man shot at the Jaljuliya checkpoint in the northern West Bank. The IOF also stormed the village of Azun Atma in the south, carrying out searches and intimidation raids.
Meanwhile, occupation authorities have approved a new colonial land-grab plan, seizing approximately 35 dunams of Palestinian land from Kafr Qaddum, east of Qalqilya.
The Al-Baydar Human Rights Organization said the plan aims to confiscate land north of the village to establish 58 new settlement units, further expanding illegal Israeli settlements deep inside Palestinian territory.
Farmers Blocked from Olive Harvest
In another act of collective punishment, Israeli forces detained several Palestinian farmers on their way to harvest olives in Rantis, west of Ramallah. The soldiers informed them that they could not return to their lands without a special “entry authorization”, effectively barring them from their own property during harvest season.
The IOF also closed the iron gate at the entrance of Attara village, north of Ramallah, while sealing all access roads to Al-Araqa village, west of Jenin, for the second consecutive day. As a result, the Jenin Directorate of Education postponed the start of the school week in the village until Tuesday.
Raids and Arrests Continue in Al-Khalil
In Al-Khalil (Hebron), Israeli forces arrested seven Palestinians, including a child, during large-scale raids and searches across several neighborhoods, as well as in the nearby Beit Ummar town and Al-Arroub refugee camp.
Local sources reported that the arrests were accompanied by property damage, door-breaking, and the confiscation of personal items — part of what human rights groups describe as a systematic campaign of collective punishment across the occupied territories. (PW)