Daijiworld Media Network - West Bank
West Bank, Aug 7: At least 51 Palestinians were injured during a large-scale Israeli military raid on the Qalandiya refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, according to the Jerusalem Governorate.
Israeli forces carried out demolitions of commercial shops near the Qalandiya checkpoint on Thursday before imposing a curfew on nearby Kafr Aqab town and closing roads connecting the area to Jerusalem.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said 35 Palestinians were hospitalised after allegedly suffering severe beatings, while six others received treatment at the site. One person was injured by a rubber-coated steel bullet and six others suffered from tear gas inhalation.
The PRCS said its ambulance teams faced difficulties reaching the injured since Wednesday night, though they managed to evacuate several patients, including those requiring kidney dialysis.
Israeli forces also reportedly fired stun grenades at journalists present near the entrance of the camp and ordered them to leave the area.
Local Palestinian media reported that dozens of residents, including women and children, were detained for questioning during searches of homes that were converted into temporary holding areas.
The Israeli military also carried out operations in Jenin on Thursday, where one Palestinian was shot and another was allegedly assaulted, according to the PRCS.
Tensions in the occupied West Bank have increased in recent months, with Palestinian rights groups reporting a rise in military operations, settler violence, demolitions and land seizures.
Rights organisations have recorded more than 11,000 Israeli military and settler-related attacks in the West Bank during the first half of the year, with thousands of Palestinians reportedly displaced due to violence and restrictions.
A United Nations-appointed commission of inquiry in June stated that Israeli authorities had failed to prevent foreseeable settler attacks and hold those responsible accountable.
The situation has also drawn international attention, with countries including the United Kingdom, Canada and France imposing sanctions on some Israeli settlers and officials over alleged involvement in violence.
Meanwhile, Israel has restricted the operations of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in occupied East Jerusalem and demolished some of its facilities in the region.
The ongoing developments come amid heightened tensions over settlements, security operations and the humanitarian situation in the occupied West Bank.