Israeli forces arrest two Palestinians after Jordan Valley shooting wounds 6 soldiers

Two Palestinians were arrested by Israeli forces in the Jordan Valley, suspected of being behind an attack that left six Israeli soldiers wounded in the Jordan Valley, in the occupied West Bank on Sunday.

The wounded, one of them critically, were travelling in a military bus on its way from Tel Aviv to the headquarters of the regional brigade when it was attacked by a flammable, according to an Israeli military officer quoted by Israeli media.

The attack occurred along the Israeli north-south "Alon road", according to the Israeli military news website 0404.

A significant attack occurred earlier today in the Jordan Valley against a bus transporting IDF recruits. Assailants in a white pickup truck fired at the bus injuring several soldiers including the bus driver. They also attempted to set the bus on fire, but failed. pic.twitter.com/mrMwRY2d9o

— Joe Truzman (@JoeTruzman) September 4, 2022

Israeli media quoted the Israeli army claiming that Palestinian gunmen opened fire at the bus, wounding several soldiers, who were transferred to the Israeli Rambam hospital by helicopter.

"Israeli forces deployed large forces in the northern Jordan Valley, especially around the village of Atouf,'' Fares Fuqaha, a human rights activist in the northern Jordan Valley, told The New Arab.

"Farms and fields are being searched by Israeli troops all around Atouf," said Fuqaha. "Israeli soldiers have been flying drones above the area since the morning too but didn't arrest anybody in Atouf itself."

Israeli forces blocked agricultural roads in Atouf, provoking confrontations with local residents who protested the blocking.

Israeli occupation forces fire live bullets and stun grenades towards Palestinian youths at the entrance to the village of Atouf in the northern Jordan Valley. pic.twitter.com/LeXdNi14bR

— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) September 4, 2022

The attack in the Jordan Valley follows weeks of escalation in the West Bank as Israeli forces have increased raids on Palestinian towns and cities, especially in the northern West Bank, clashing with Palestinian gunmen.

Last week, two shooting attacks targeted Israeli forces near Silwad, northeast of Ramallah, and near Tell, south of Nablus.

On Thursday, Israeli forces raided the Balata refugee camp in Nablus and the neighbourhood of Sateh Marhaba in Ramallah, killing one Palestinian, while a second was killed by Palestinian fire.

#Israel #Palestine: The two injured from the Jordan Valley arrived at Rambam Hospital in Haifa pic.twitter.com/Qm3go0Ch6K

— Heedo Abu Laban | عبد الحميد | 𓂆 (@HeedoAbuLaban) September 4, 2022

Earlier in August Israeli forces arrested a Palestinian militant in Qabatia, near Jenin, and two others in Raujib, near Nablus after gunfights lasting hours.

On Thursday, the US secretary of state assistant for Middle East affairs, Barbara Leaf, arrived in Ramallah to meet Palestinian officials.

According to Palestinian sources, the visit's agenda included discussing the escalation in the West Bank.