'Israeli' military raid on Qalandia camp enters second day
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- Dozens injured as medics reportedly face access restrictions.
- Homes seized, property damage and theft reported.
- Around 20 Palestinians detained.
The 'Israeli' military extended its large-scale raid on the Qalandia refugee camp north of occupied East Jerusalem for a second consecutive day on Thursday, carrying out widespread incursions that resulted in severe injuries, mass tear gas exposure, and extensive property damage.
Mohammad Aslan, head of the PLO-affiliated Qalandia Refugee Camp Popular Services Committee, described conditions inside the camp as "extremely difficult" as military operations intensified.
Severe beatings, tear gas suffocation, and medical obstruction
According to Aslan, three Palestinians were seriously injured after being subjected to severe beatings by 'Israeli' soldiers, including one individual who suffered a skull fracture.
An additional 60 residents suffered from severe suffocation after inhaling tear gas fired throughout the camp's residential quarters.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society stated that its emergency crews have treated at least 10 injured individuals and evacuated several residents.
However, medical teams faced operational blockades during the night when 'Israeli' forces barred them from entering the camp and ordered them to leave, preventing them from reaching patients inside.
"It is shameful that the world sees what is happening in the Qalandia refugee camp and remains idle. We hope the international community awakens from its silence over the torture and abuse inflicted on the residents," Aslan stated.
Homes converted into outposts
Beyond physical assaults, 'Israeli' troops ransacked multiple residences across the camp, with cash and gold jewelry reported stolen from several family homes.
Local sources reported that 'Israeli' forces forcibly evacuated the home of resident Mohammad Jamil Ammar before planting explosive charges inside, detonating portions of the structure, and taking Ammar into custody.
To date, approximately 20 Palestinians have been arrested since the wider military operation was initiated early Wednesday in both Qalandia and the adjacent town of Kafr Aqab, with local officials warning that the detention tally is expected to climb.
Broader context of West Bank military operations
The raid on Qalandia occurs against the backdrop of near-daily 'Israeli' military incursions across cities, towns, and refugee camps in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem.
Since the onset of 'Israel's' genocidal war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, 2023, the 'Israeli' army and occupiers have intensified their attacks across the occupied West Bank, killing at least 1,182 Palestinians, injuring around 13,000 others, and arresting nearly 24,000 people.
The wider campaign has also included the demolition of homes and facilities, the burning of mosques, the bulldozing of agricultural land, preventing farmers from accessing their land, the forced displacement of Palestinians, and the expansion of 'Israeli' settlements on Palestinian territory.
