One Palestinian hospitalised after being shot while waiting for sandwich during Israeli raid

One Palestinian was critically wounded and two more arrested during a raid by Israeli forces in Kufr Aqab, north of Jerusalem, on Wednesday.

Yousef Farhan, a 23-year-old from the Qalandia refugee camp near Kufr Aqab, was wounded in the stomach by an Israeli bullet and is being treated in hospital, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

His father, Thaer Farhan, told The New Arab that Yousef was heading to a supermarket at around 11:30 pm to work a night shift when the shooting happened. 

"He stopped by a fast-food stand to buy a sandwich at the same time the Israeli forces were entering the town, shooting randomly in the main street, and he [was hit in the stomach]," said Farhan.

شاهد| مصادر محلية: لحظة نقل إحدى الإصابات برصاص جيش الاحتــلال خلال المواجهات التي اندلعت بحي كفر عقب شمال القدس. pic.twitter.com/4bkmSCMUUN

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) December 29, 2021

His son was transferred to the public hospital in Ramallah where he underwent a five-hour surgery.

"He thankfully survived the bullet that hit his liver but he is still in intensive care," Farhan said.

"Two young men came to the hospital and checked up on my son. They told us that the Israeli forces called them and threatened to raid the neighborhood again, shooting, unless they handed themselves in.

"After that, they left and surrendered to the Israeli forces."

Israeli forces stormed a gym in the town and confiscated security camera tapes, local sources reported.

eye.on.palestine 🇵🇸#Palestine || Last Night, Israeli special forces raided a gym in Kufr Aqab town, in the northern of Jerusalem, to detain the Palestinian young man Mohammad Sara'wi. pic.twitter.com/aerOv4ygxJ

— Johann Spischak (@SDGMasterglass) December 30, 2021

Kurf Aqab is under Jerusalem municipality administration but is separated from the occupied city by the Israeli separation wall.

Although it is located just outside the Palestinian Authority-run city of Ramallah, Palestinian security forces are not allowed to operate in the town, turning it into an over-crowded "grey zone".

Locals complain of a lack of security and services and the town is subject to constant Israeli raids.