Palestine: Israel Raids into Ramallah Injure 35

Facts

• The Israeli army on Thursday raided the West Bank city of Ramallah to demolish the home of Islam Faroukh whom it accused of carrying out twin bombings in Jerusalem last November.¹
• Following the unrest, the Palestinian health ministry said at least 35 people were injured, including two who suffered severe abdominal wounds.²
• A Quds News Network journalist was reportedly hospitalized after he was hit in the head by a rubber bullet while reporting the clashes.³
• Eyewitnesses claim Israeli soldiers, who had gathered at Ramallah's city center to carry out the raid, reportedly fired live bullets, stun grenades, and tear gas at Palestinian youths hurling stones at the military convoy.⁴
• The Israeli army routinely demolishes the homes of Palestinians accused of carrying out terror attacks as a matter of policy, a practice human rights activists argue is a form of unjust collective punishment.⁵
• Israeli raids have killed over 250 Palestinians since the spring of 2022. Meanwhile, about 50 people have been killed in Palestinian attacks against Israelis.⁶

Sources: ¹Associated Press (a), ²Reuters, ³PressTV, ⁴The National, ⁵The Times of Israel and ⁶Associated Press (b).

Narratives

• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Al Jazeera. Israel continues to use the cruelest possible policies against Palestinians, such as destroying Palestinian homes, a war crime. Even journalists are not safe, as, only a year after the killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, Israel has again targeted two Palestinian journalists. Emboldened by international silence after killing more Palestinians last year than in any other calendar year since the Second Intifada, the occupation is becoming increasingly violent.
• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by Jerusalem Post. Israel does everything it can to mitigate harm when it launches preventative raids in the West Bank to stop terrorist plots. The demolition of terrorists' homes is an unfortunately necessary policy to deter Palestinian terrorism that kills Israeli civilians. Instead of focusing on the destruction of Farouk's home, the Western media should appreciate the justice delivered to his terror attack victims.