OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (Palestine Foundation Information Center), The withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from Qalandia refugee camp and the town of Kafr Aqab, north of occupied Jerusalem, on Friday revealed widespread damage to public and private property, along with dozens of injuries and several arrests, following a two-day assault.
The Israeli assault included raids, searches, field interrogations, the conversion of several homes into military barracks and detention centers, the seizure of the Popular Committee headquarters and the Jerusalem Governorate office inside the camp, the closure of main entrances and roads, and restrictions on the movement of journalists and ambulance crews in the area.
In a statement, the Jerusalem Governorate said Israeli forces intensified their military deployment inside Qalandia camp and Kafr Aqab, sending in large numbers of soldiers and military vehicles, deploying snipers on the rooftops of residential buildings, firing sound bombs, toxic gas and rubber-coated metal bullets, violently beating several residents and abusing detainees.
It added that Israeli forces turned a number of homes into military barracks and field interrogation centers after forcibly evacuating their residents.
According to official figures, medical teams from the Palestinian Red Crescent Society dealt with 51 cases from the start of the assault until the withdrawal of Israeli forces. These included 38 injuries caused by beatings that required hospital treatment, six beating-related injuries treated in the field, one injury from a rubber-coated metal bullet and six cases of gas inhalation.
Israeli forces also carried out a wide-scale arrest and field interrogation campaign. More than 60 Palestinians were arrested, detained or interrogated since the start of the assault, including children and women, while the actual number is believed to be higher.
The campaign also targeted relatives of prisoners and Palestinians martyrs killed by Israeli forces, as part of what the governorate described as a policy of collective punishment.
The assault extended beyond residents to public and private property. Israeli forces demolished seven commercial shops near the Qalandia military checkpoint, as well as a car wash facility, bulldozed the yard of one home, destroyed the contents of dozens of homes during searches, and damaged the facades of several shops inside the camp.
Palestinian families also reported that money and gold jewelry were stolen from their homes during the raids, in an additional violation of civilians’ rights and property.
