Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank: tear gas, gunfire and renewed violence reported at several locations

The Israeli army conducted a raid in the Solomon's Pools tourist area near Bethlehem in the southern occupied West Bank, using tear gas and stun grenades against people at the site. According to local sources, soldiers were patrolling the area, located between the town of Khadir and the village of Urtas, when the incidents occurred.

According to the same accounts, groups of Palestinian visitors were targeted with tear gas during the operation. Prior to the raid, sources indicate that a group of Israelis who had settled on land claimed by Palestinians had been performing religious rituals around the historic pools. The site of Solomon's Pools, considered a major heritage site, comprises three large ancient reservoirs used for centuries to store and supply water to Jerusalem.

In a separate incident reported by the Palestinian news agency WAFA, a 29-year-old disabled Palestinian man was wounded by Israeli fire at the entrance to the town of Duma, near Nablus. Hit in the abdomen and leg, he was evacuated to a local hospital. The exact circumstances of the incident were not detailed, but it occurred against a backdrop of heightened tensions.

In the southern occupied West Bank, several other incidents were reported, notably in Hebron and the vicinity of Bethlehem. Employees of an electricity company were attacked while working in the Wadi Rahal area; some sustained minor injuries, and their vehicles were damaged. There were also reports of damage to and theft of water pipes in other areas.

In the northern occupied West Bank, fires were reported in the village of Cit, near Qalqilya, where several hectares of farmland and several vehicles were reportedly burned. Houses were also reportedly hit by Molotov cocktails, according to local sources cited by WAFA.

These various events are part of an intensification of violence and raids in the West Bank since the start of the war in Gaza in October 2023, with a multiplication of clashes, destruction of property and attacks reported by various local and Palestinian sources.