Clashes in Ramallah Following Israeli Military Raid

Clashes erupted after Israeli forces conducted a rare raid in the Palestinian city of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank early Thursday morning, with the army stating it was an operation to demolish the home of an attacker. Witnesses reported that a large military convoy arrived in the center of Ramallah, the headquarters of the Palestinian government, prompting hundreds of Palestinians to gather in the area. One witness said that some Palestinian youths threw stones at the Israeli forces, which responded with live ammunition, sound bombs, and tear gas towards the crowd. Roads were blocked with burning trash containers as ambulance sirens echoed. The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported that at least six people were hospitalized for treatment, including three who sustained gunshot wounds. The Israeli army stated that its forces were operating in Ramallah "to demolish the home of the terrorist who carried out a bombing attack in Jerusalem last November." The two explosions during that attack resulted in the deaths of two individuals, one of whom was a Canadian-Israeli teenager, and injured at least 14 others, which police described as explosions from two bombs placed at bus stops near the city's exit and at an intersection leading to a settlement. Abdel Fattah Dola, a spokesperson for the Mobilization and Organization Commission of the Fatah movement led by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, said, "The demolition of the homes of the fighters is collective punishment that falls under war crimes committed by the occupation against our people, and the international community must act immediately to stop these crimes and hold their perpetrators accountable." Israel argues that demolishing the homes of attackers is a punitive measure and a deterrent to others. Hours earlier, the U.S. Special Representative for Palestinian Affairs, Hadi Amr, met with the Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hussein Sheikh. Violence has escalated in the West Bank over the past year, with Israel intensifying its raids amidst a series of attacks carried out by Palestinians in its streets. The Palestinian Ministry of Health stated that Israel has killed at least 158 Palestinians since January, while the Israeli Foreign Ministry reported that 20 Israelis and two foreign nationals were killed in Palestinian attacks during the same period.