BETHLEHEM, January 10, 2025 (WAFA) – Several Palestinians Friday evening suffocated during an Israeli army raid in Tuqu‘ town, southeast of the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, according to a local source.

Tayseer Abu Mufreh, head of Tuqu‘ Municipal Council, said that Israeli occupation forces stormed the downtown part of the town, at a time when the soldiers fired live ammunition along with teargas and concussion bombs towards the residents’ houses and a gathering of mourners.

He added that the soldiers besieged worshipers in a local mosque following the Maghreb prayers and showered the mosque with teargas canisters, resulting in several suffocation cases.

All of the suffocation cases were treated at the scene.

Israeli occupation forces frequently raid Palestinian houses almost daily across the West Bank on the pretext of searching for "wanted" Palestinians, triggering clashes with residents.

These raids, which also take place in areas under the full control of the Palestinian Authority, are conducted with no need for a search warrant, whenever and wherever the military chooses in keeping with its sweeping arbitrary powers.

Under Israeli military law army commanders have full executive, legislative and judicial authority over 3 million Palestinians living in the West Bank. Palestinians have no say in how this authority is exercised.

K.F.