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The Israeli army carried out a rare invasion of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday.
Jerusalem CNN –
Israeli forces conducted a rare incursion into Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian Authority government in the occupied West Bank, which prompted clashes that injured at least six people, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said early Thursday the operation was aimed at demolishing the home of Islam Faroukh, accused of two November 2022 bombings in Jerusalem that killed two Israelis and wounded dozens more.
Israeli security forces regularly raid Palestinian cities such as Jenin, Nablus and Jericho, but an invasion of Ramallah on this scale is extremely unusual.
This was reported by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa More than 100 Israeli military vehicles were involved in what was described as a night raid.
Among the injured was Al-Arabi TV photojournalist Moumen Sumrin, who was hit in the head by a rubber bullet. Crime scene video showed he was wearing a press vest at the time. The rubber bullet fractured his skull behind his ear and caused internal bleeding, but did not appear to have caused any brain damage, Dr. Fadel Al-Batran.
He is conscious and in stable condition, the doctor told reporters.
The IDF noted reports that a Palestinian journalist was injured in the raid. They did not name Sumrin in their statement.
“An initial investigation indicates that a Palestinian photojournalist who was in the area of the violent and countless riots was injured, probably by a rubber bullet. The details of the incident are currently being reviewed. “The IDF makes every effort to prevent any harm to non-combatants during operations and to ensure freedom of movement and freedom of the press,” the statement said.
Issam Rimawi/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
Palestinians inspect the site where Israeli forces demolished the home of Islam Faroukh, who was accused of carrying out two bombings in November.
The Faroukh family’s home was blown up from the inside because it was on the first floor of a four-story building, Wafa said. Faroukh’s parents and four sisters lived there, the official news outlet added.
The IDF regularly demolishes the homes of people it accuses of attacking Israelis in order to punish suspects and their families.
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh promised to rebuild the house.
“Every house destroyed by the occupation will be rebuilt,” he said on Thursday.
The IDF said the Israeli Supreme Court had rejected a petition against the house’s demolition.
Faroukh was arrested in December, the IDF said.
The IDF said people threw stones and Molotov cocktails at their forces during the raid and that troops responded with live ammunition and riot-busting measures. According to the military, no IDF troops were injured.