Israeli forces attack school near Bethlehem with tear gas, suffocating students

A number of Palestinian schoolgirls suffered from suffocation after Israeli soldiers on Sunday fired tear gas at a school near Bethlehem, West Bank, amid an uptick in raids on the occupied Palestinian territory.

The incident took place as the schoolchildren began arriving for class at the Al-Khader Elementary School in the town of the same name, the Directorate of Education in Bethlehem confirmed, as cited by the Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Israeli soldiers hurled the toxic gas canisters directly as the students entered the school grounds, causing them to experience suffocation and breathing difficulties.

Images shared online by Palestinian media showed distressed Palestinian students trying to recover from the effects of the toxic gas, as well as trying to cover their faces.

The incident is reportedly part of an intensification of Israeli military assaults targeting schools in the area, Wafa said. In recent weeks, Israeli forces have escalated their attacks on the al-Khadr school complex, using tear gas and stun grenades.

The attack occurred as part of a wider raid on the town, located 5 kilometres west of Bethlehem, late on Saturday when Israeli forces stationed themselves around the Grand Mosque, Al-Saifi and Al-Bawaba neighbourhoods, and fired tear gas and sound bombs.

A similar raid also took place on Friday, Wafa said.

The West Bank has been subject to multiple raids and acts of violence in recent days.

On Saturday, Israeli forces carried out a raid on a a ministry of health clinic near Ramallah.

The Israeli troops reportedly broke down the facility’s doors, before vandalizing the clinic. The incident was condemned by the Palestinian Ministry of Health, who described the incident as a part of a broader pattern of Israeli attacks on health care services, as well as  a "blatant violation" of international law.

Incursions and arrests of Palestinians also took place in other parts of the occupied territory. Over 200 Israeli settlers reportedly stormed the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, while a total of 15 Palestinians have been arrested overnight on Saturday and a Sunday.

Israeli forces have dramatically ramped up its violence and arrests in the West Bank since the start of Israel's war on the Gaza Strip on October 7 last year. At least 780 Palestinians have been killed since, and 6,300 wounded.

Meanwhile, over 11,700 Palestinians from the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem have been arrested since the start of the war on Gaza.