Israeli forces use tear gas and stun grenades near Bethlehem

Israeli occupation forces used tear gas and stun grenades against Palestinian visitors at the Solomon’s Pools tourist site near Bethlehem on Friday evening, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa. The forces reportedly stormed the site, deploying patrols and firing barrages of tear gas and stun grenades, causing several people to suffer from suffocation.

During the ensuing confrontations, soldiers closed off the site and restricted the movement of Palestinians. Two children, aged two and four, reportedly suffered from tear-gas inhalation. The Israeli military also invaded the town of Al-Khader and the Deheishe refugee camp south of Bethlehem, firing tear-gas canisters toward Palestinians shopping for Eid al-Adha. Similar actions were reported in Deir Ballut west of Salfit and the Old Askar refugee camp east of Nablus.

Israeli forces carried out military operations in several towns across the occupied West Bank on Friday. In Bethlehem, troops reportedly entered the city through nearby Beit Jala and deployed in several neighbourhoods. Raids were also reported in the town of Tuqu, southeast of Bethlehem, and in the villages of Immatain and Jit east of the Qalqilya governorate. In Beita, south of Nablus, clashes between residents and Israeli forces were reported during a military incursion. Near Ramallah, Israeli settlers reportedly erected barriers on a road linking Bitounia and Beit Ur in the Ayn Jaryut area, restricting movement for Palestinians travelling west of the city.