Israel kills three Palestinians and arrests dozens in West Bank raids

Gazan patients also arrested in army raid on East Jerusalem hospital

Israeli settler violence driving Palestinians from their homes

Israeli settler violence driving Palestinians from their homes

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The Israeli army killed three Palestinians and arrested dozens more in raids across occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank on Thursday.

Ayham Al Shafi, 14, Yazan Sheeha, 24, and Maswan Qaran, 19, were killed in army raids in Al Bireh and Qaqiliya, the Palestinian ministry of health said.

Hamdan Hamdan, 14, was also pronounced dead on Thursday afternoon after succumbing to wounds sustained during an army raid in Nablus on Monday.

The deaths occurred during a surge in arrests and violence throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem, where 134 people have been killed and almost 2,000 people arrested since the war in Gaza began on October 7.

Almost 60 people were arrested across the West Bank on Thursday as overnight air strikes on the Gaza Strip continued.

Seventeen people, including a woman, were arrested in Ramallah, with mass arrests also recorded in Jenin, Hebron and Bethlehem.

The army seized a home in Silat Al Dahr, near Hebron, and transformed the roof into a military observation point, Wafa reported on Thursday afternoon.

The military has increased mass arrests in occupied territories since the war began, claiming it is targeting Hamas operatives.

At least 1,900 people have been arrested since October 7, Wafa said, citing the Palestinian department of prisoner affairs.

Many workers from Gaza are among the detained, according to official media.

The Israeli army also stormed the Al Maqasid hospital in Al Tur, East Jerusalem, Wafa reported on Thursday, arresting Gazan patients being treated in the emergency department and a ward dedicated to patients from the enclave.

Two young men were wounded by shrapnel early on Thursday after Israeli troops opened fire on a vehicle as it passed the town of Turmus Ayya, north-east of Ramallah, Wafa reported.

They were taken to hospital but their condition was not serious, the report said.

Settler attacks were also reported in Deir Sharaf and on the road connecting Nablus to Qalqiliya.

Several people have recently been wounded by settlers while out picking olives.

At least nine people have been killed in settler attacks in the occupied territories since the beginning of October, according to West Bank authorities.

Palestinian officials recorded a total of 390 attacks last month, with Jerusalem, Nablus and Hebron the site of the worst violence.

On Wednesday, a disabled man was killed by Israeli forces during a confrontation with residents of Tulkarm refugee camp. Wafa identified him as Magdy Awad, 65.

Updated: November 02, 2023, 2:32 PM