At least three Palestinians shot and wounded in Israeli raid on West Bank town of Qabatiya

Israeli forces shot and injured at least three Palestinians during a raid on the town of Qabatiya in the occupied West Bank early on Thursday morning.

The attack on the Palestinian town led to clashes between Israeli forces and fighters from the Al-Quds Brigades - the Islamic Jihad’s military branch - which lasted for at least an hour, according to The New Arab’s Arabic-language sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Israeli forces backed up by snipers could be seen arriving in the town, located six kilometres south of Jenin, while Palestinian fighters firing back, images and footage shared online revealed.  

تغطية صحفية: "قوات الاحتلال تنشر قناصة في عدة أماكن خلال اقتحامها بلدة قباطية جنوب جنين". pic.twitter.com/uUQFr2TeMy

— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) March 30, 2023

One person suffered a bullet wound to the thigh, according to officials from the Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin, while another was injured in the stomach, before being transferred to another hospital.

A number of Palestinians were also reportedly detained by Israeli forces.

📹 متابعة صفا | مقاومون يطلقون النار ويلقون قنابـل محلية الصنع تجاه قوات الاحتلال في بلدة الزبابدة خلال مرورها نحو بلدة قباطية جنوب جنين pic.twitter.com/x3MpdaSPrI

— وكالة صفا (@SafaPs) March 30, 2023

In addition, Israeli forces raided the house of former prisoner Youssef Nazzal, in a bid to detain his brother Mu’tassem who was not present at the property, according to the Palestinian Wafa agency.

The Israeli army subsequently detained Youssef for a number of hours, before arresting Mu'tassem.

The Israeli forces’ attack on Qabatiya is the latest in a series of violent raids in the West Bank, which focus particularly on the cities of Nablus and Jenin and surrounding areas. These have intensified since Benjamin Netanyahu’s extreme-right government came to power in November 2022.

At least 90 Palestinians have been killed in the raids since the beginning of the year, according to the Palestinian health ministry.

Earlier this week, at least six Palestinians were wounded by the Israeli army during a raid on a camp on Aqbat Jabr, near the city of Jericho. A child was among the injured.

Qabatiya has been the target of several Israeli raids in recent years. In January, two Palestinian men - 18-year-old Abdulhadi Nazal and 25-year-old Habib Kamil - were shot dead by Israeli forces, while Taher Zakarneh, 19, was also killed in September last year.

The violent incursions come as Palestinian Muslims mark the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, amid fears that Israel will increase violence in both the West Bank and East Jerusalem - both of which have been occupied by Israel in violation of international law since 1967.