West Bank: Several Dead in Israeli Raids

Facts

• Israeli forces conducted multiple raids across the West Bank on Wednesday, killing at least four Palestinians. One incident occurred at the Shu’fat refugee camp, where Israel said Rami al-Halhuli, 13, shot fireworks at them, prompting them to shoot and kill him.¹
• Witnesses, however, told Al Jazeera that the boy was not firing the fireworks at the soldiers but rather up in the air. They reportedly showed the outlet video footage confirming this series of events.¹
• Another man said the Israeli forces fired upon people who were sitting outside a hospital in the city of Jenin, adding that 'those who crawled were saved' and those 'who ran away got injured.'²
• Elsewhere, a 15-year-old suspect was killed after he purportedly attempted to stab an Israeli military police officer and private security guard at a military checkpoint between Jerusalem and Bethlehem.³
• Israeli raids were also reported in the town of Anabta and the village of Burins, where a 35-year-old man was wounded. Israeli police said they also engaged people throwing Molotov cocktails, prompting them to shoot five men near al-Jib, killing a 16- and 23-year-old.¹
• According to the UN, Israel has expanded its raids in the West Bank since Hamas' Oct. 7 attack, killing at least 358 people, a quarter of them minors.⁴

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²Middle East Monitor, ³The Times of Israel and ⁴Reuters.

Narratives

• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Middle East Eye. Israeli troops have no care for the lives of Palestinians, even children, and their government has no desire to hold them accountable. This was shown by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir's praising of the soldier who killed the 13-year-old boy and arguing that he should not be investigated for his actions. Even with video footage debunking the claim that the boy shot fireworks at Israeli forces, those who killed him will face no punishment. The international community must start holding Israel accountable for its crimes.
• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by FDD. The Israeli government is not lying about terrorist threats in the West Bank. Ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which has since begun, a spokesman for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad called for this year's holiday to be a 'month of terror' and for terror groups to 'unify' against Israel. Palestinian terrorists have certainly heeded this message, returning to old tactics of suicide bombings in civilian venues such as buses and cafes. Israeli forces are responding to militants, not innocent civilians, pointing weapons at them.

Predictions