Palestinian killed during Israeli raid in occupied West Bank
A Palestinian man was shot and killed on Wednesday as Israeli forces launched a raid in the town of Yabad in the occupied West Bank to demolish the home of a Palestinian accused of carrying out a March attack that killed five people in the Tel Aviv suburb of Bnei Brak.
Bilal Awad Tawfiq Kabha, 24, was killed after being shot in the chest and thigh, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, and had arrived in critical condition at Jenin Governmental Hospital.
Six other people were also injured with bullet wounds, with three of them in critical condition.
Local sources told the Palestinian news agency Wafa that Israeli forces were conducting a raid on the family home of Diya Hamarshah, who was shot and killed by Israeli police following the Bnei Brak attack.
Israeli forces were accompanied by about 30 military vehicles, including a bulldozer.
Stay informed with MEE's newsletters
Sign up to get the latest alerts, insights and analysis, starting with Turkey Unpacked
Wafa also reported that Israeli settlers attacked cars belonging to Palestinians in Yabad.
Israeli forces confirmed to The Times of Israel newspaper that they were conducting an operation to demolish Hamarshah's home.
A video posted on Twitter showed Israeli armoured vehicles driving through the Palestinian city through the dead of the night.
Israel frequently destroys the homes of individuals it blames for attacks on Israelis.
The practice, which often fuels tensions, has been condemned by critics as a form of collective punishment.
In recent months, Israel has been continuing to conduct near-daily raids in and around the Palestinian village of Jenin. The northern West Bank city, particularly its central refugee camp, is known as a stronghold for a re-emerging Palestinian armed resistance movement.
Last month, Daoud al-Zubaidi, a senior Palestinian figure in Jenin, died after succumbing to wounds he sustained in an Israeli raid on the city.
That raid took place only two days after an Israeli soldier shot and killed Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during a similar incursion into the camp.
Abu Akleh's killing and the subsequent assault on her funeral has drawn widespread international condemnation of Israel and highlighted its long history of targeting Palestinian journalists.
Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.
