Under the escort of Israeli forces, bulldozers entered the village of Qalandiya on the outskirts of the central occupied West Bank district of Jerusalem late Monday evening, where they demolished 12 homes, according to locals. Israeli authorities destroyed the homes, which had previously been issued demolition notices, claiming they were too close to Israel's separation wall and that they lacked the proper Israeli-issued licenses. Clashes erupted between Israeli forces and residents of the village who attempted to form a blockade around the 12 homes. Israeli soldiers reportedly fired rubber-coated steel bullets, sponge bullets, tear gas, and stun grenades at locals, and assaulted residents of the homes before the demolitions. Among those assaulted during clashes was the head of the Qalandiya village council, Youssef Awadallah, who was taken to a hospital for treatment afterwards. Israeli soldiers reportedly targeted journalists reporting on the demolitions, firing tear gas and...

Israeli forces demolished two Palestinian homes overnight Sunday in the Qalandiya refugee camp -- displacing at least six Palestinian refugees -- sparking clashes in the densely populated camp that left four Palestinians injured by Israeli fire. The punitive demolition was carried out against the Assaf and Abu Habsa families as punishment for stab attacks carried out by two young members of the families last year. Israeli forces shot and injured four Palestinians with live fire when fierce clashes erupted after an Israeli convoy stormed the camp to begin demolishing the homes, locals told Ma’an. Local sources said Israeli forces detained and proceeded to assault two young men after they have been shot and injured. Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters and stun grenades at ambulances to prevent them from entering the camp to evacuate the wounded, after the Palestinian Red Crescent received several emergency calls from inside the camp. more

Israeli forces on Wednesday shot and killed a Palestinian woman and youth after they allegedly attempted to carry out a stab attack on border police at Qalandiya military checkpoint near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, police and witnesses said. Israeli police spokesperson Luba al-Samri said two suspects -- a woman and a youth -- approached the vehicular path leading through the military checkpoint and walked towards border police officers, the woman with her hand in her bag and the youth with hands behind his back. Officers ordered them to halt several times and they began to turn back before police said the woman threw a knife at an officer. Police opened fire, killing the woman immediately. The youth's death was confirmed shortly after. An eyewitness told Ma'an that Israeli forces fired more than 15 rounds into the woman’s body, confirming her death. Witnesses are heard in video footage of the scene following the incident claiming that a Palestinian boy approached th...

QALQILIYA (Ma'an) -- Violence continued Christmas Eve day when a Palestinian was shot dead during clashes with Israeli military forces in the Qalandiya refugee camp, the fourth to be killed in the occupied West Bank within hours. Three Palestinians were shot dead earlier Thursday after carrying out separate attacks that left three Israelis injured. An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an that Israeli forces had entered the Qalandiya refugee camp in order to arrest suspects involved in an attack earlier in the day. The forces opened fire when they were “assaulted by a violent mob” that included gunmen and Palestinians throwing explosive devices, Molotov cocktails, and stones, the spokesperson said. Israeli soldiers then opened fire towards the gunmen, confirming a hit. Locals identified the Palestinian killed as 23-year-old Bilal Zayed. more

RAMALLAH (Ma’an) -- Israeli forces on Wednesday raided Qalandiya refugee camp near the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, injuring 13 Palestinians with live fire, residents and medics said. Residents told Ma'an that 16-year-old camp resident Faris Abu al-Esh was shot before being detained and his condition is not known. Israeli forces opened fire when clashes broke out during the raid with Palestinian residents who threw stones at the forces. The Palestinian Ministry of Health told Ma’an that the injured were transferred to the Palestinian Medical Complex in Ramallah. All Palestinians admitted were shot in their lower extremities during the clashes, medics said. One resident sustained a serious injury and the remaining 11 were reported to be in stable condition. An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an that Israeli forces entered the camp in the early morning during “routine activity,” in order to “arrest suspects involved in illegal activity.” The spokesperson said that “ri...

RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- A 22-year-old youth on Friday succumbed to wounds sustained during an Israeli military raid on Qalandiya refugee camp south of Ramallah, making him the second Palestinian to be killed by Israeli forces since the morning. Mustafa Hosni Aslan was shot in the head by Israeli forces when they raided the camp before dawn on Friday, one of three Palestinians wounded in the camp. After being taken to Ramallah Governmental Hospital he was subsequently moved to Jerusalem's Hadassah hospital earlier in the day, and he was pronounced dead by Israeli medical officials there just after noon. His death was announced in Qalandiya refugee camp only hours after it had been announced that he was injured, not killed, leading to a state of shock for many residents upon hearing the news. more

RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Six Palestinians were injured including one critically in clashes with Israeli forces near Qalandiya checkpoint near Ramallah. Israeli forces fired live and rubber-coated steel bullets at protesters who threw rocks at Israeli forces deployed near the checkpoint, injuring six of them. Yazan Yacoub, 17, was shot in the chest and abdomen with a live bullet. He underwent an operation and is currently in the ICD, medical sources said. Hundreds of Palestinians marched toward the checkpoint to protest the killing of young Palestinian from al-Jalazun refugee camp. more

BETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees on Monday condemned the killing of one of its workers by Israeli forces in Qalandia refugee camp. "UNRWA deeply regrets to confirm that one of its staff members, a 34-year-old father of four, was shot dead by Israeli forces and killed instantly in an operation in Qalandia refugee camp in the occupied West Bank at approximately seven o'clock this morning," a statement read. "Credible reports say that he was on his way to work and was not engaged in any violent activity. He was shot in the chest," it added. Another UNRWA staff member was shot in the leg during the incident and is said to be in a stable condition. Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in the camp early Monday during an arrest operation. At least 19 people were injured, six critically. more

RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Israeli undercover forces killed three Palestinians overnight Sunday in Qalandia refugee camp in Ramallah, locals said. Robin al-Abed, 32, was shot in the chest and died instantly, medics said. Younis Jihad Abu al-Sheikh Jahjouh, 22, was also shot dead. Jihad Asslan, 20, died Monday morning from his injuries after being pronounced brain dead at a Ramallah hospital. All three men were killed when Israeli forces opened fire on a crowd during clashes with camp residents following an arrest raid. At least 15 Palestinians were injured by live fire, with six said to be in a critical condition. Most of the injured were shot in the head, chest and upper body, medics said. Mohammad Abed Badran, Mohammad Mteir, Abdo Mteir, Ali Adawi, and Samer al-Mansour were identified as some of those wounded. Witnesses told Ma'an that Israeli forces dressed in civilian clothes raided the camp at around 5 a.m. and arrested recently released prisoner Yousef al-Khatib, wh...

RAMALLAH, ( PIC )-- Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri has condemned the Israeli occupation forces raid in Kalandia near Ramallah that killed two young Palestinian men. Clashes broke out there after the IOF came in to make arrests. The army said the young men were killed by 'uncontrolled' gunfire. Abu Zuhri said the lethal raid calls for increased resistance in the West Bank and called on the Palestinian Authority security agencies to stop persecuting resistance forces and confiscating their weapons. The fact that the attack took place on Monday the first day of the holy month of Ramadan demonstrates Israel's ''aggressive nature'' that lacks respect for the sanctities and setiments of the Muslims, Abu Zuhri pointed out. In a separate statement, Hamas MPs in the West Bank also condemned the killings as a ''heinous crime''. The MPs mourned the martyrs; Mutasim Adwan and Ali Khalifa'. The statement is concluded with calls to the Palestinian fact...

Ramallah - PNN – Clashes occured today at noon between Palestinians and Israeli soldiers near the Kalinda checkpoint, south of Jerusalem, after activists began a march advocating nonviolent activities against the Israeli occupation. The demonstration marks the anniversary of the High Court decision against Israel building the separation wall.The march started from Kalinda refugee camps opposite the military checkpoint between Ramlaah and Jerusalem. Several internationals insisted on attending as the march begins a string of demonstrations and action that will last one week. The protestors say they are fighting the wall and discrimination and also asking the world to implement the High Court's decision. The coordinator of the campaign, Jamal Joma, told PNN that this week of demonstrations are to tell the world that “they should help break the siege, implement the International Court of Justice decision, and stop their silence against Israeli aggression.” Joma expects that the Israe...

From The Electronic Intifada - This dramatic video documents protesters marching on Qalandiya checkpoint between Ramallah and Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank. Israeli soldiers fire tear gas at the undeterred youthful crowd. Approximately 250 protesters were injured during the demonstration, mainly from tear gas inhalation, but forty were seriously wounded from rubber-coated steel bullets fired by Israeli soldiers. more