Israeli forces raid Silwad after Palestinian teenager's funeral

Israeli forces exchanged fire with armed Palestinians early on Saturday, as they raided the town of Silwad, north east of Ramallah, local sources reported.

“Armed Palestinians opened fire towards an Israeli army position outside Silwad, after which Israeli forces raided the town, clashing with militants before withdrawing several hours later,” Shatha Hammad, local journalist and resident of Silwad told The New Arab.

No casualties were reported from either side.

🔴 Another gun exchange scene between Palestinians and Israeli forces in Silwad. (In the video: soldiers runs to hide in the armored vehicle, when the fire starts) pic.twitter.com/R37kIzpuNC

— Younis Tirawi | يونس الطيراوي (@ytirawi) July 1, 2022

The clashes sparked only two days after Israeli forces returned the body of a teenager they killed a week earlier in Silwad to his family.

Mohammad Hammad, 16, was fatally shot by Israeli forces near an Israeli road just outside the town of Silwad a week ago. Israeli forces withheld his body.

Israeli forces said their soldiers had opened fire at a group of Palestinians who threw stones at the Israeli road, according to Israeli media reports.

“The Palestinian civil liaison had told me on the day Mohammad was killed that the Israeli army informed them of their decision to return Mohammad’s body,” Hammad’s father told The New Arab.

“The week went by without any news, until the Palestinian liaison office informed me on Wednesday the Israelis are going to return the body that night,” he noted.

“We waited in the Ramallah public hospital since 10pm for a call,” said the father. “We thought the return of the body was called off, until we finally received a call at 1:30 am,” he added.

Mohammad’s body was eventually buried on Thursday after the noon prayer with hundreds of Palestinians chanting slogans while raising Palestinian flags.

Israeli occupation forces raided the city of Nablus last night and fired tear gas bombs to suppress the Palestinians in the area. pic.twitter.com/riAPAKCJlP

— TIMES OF GAZA (@Timesofgaza) June 30, 2022

Confrontations between Palestinians and the Israeli army had been on the rise over the weekend in the West Bank. On Thursday, Israeli forces clashed with armed Palestinians as they raided the Palestinian city of Nablus, escorting a group of settlers to the religious site of ‘tomb of Yousef’ in the middle of the town.

Three Palestinians  were reported wounded and dozens were treated for asphyxiation with tear gas. Two Israeli settlers and one Israeli army officer were injured in the clash, according to Israeli reports.