BETHLEHEM, January 31, 2025 (WAFA) – Several Palestinians Friday evening suffocated as Israeli occupation forces raided Husan village, west of the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, according to a local source.

Rami Hamemreh, Head of Husan Village Council, said that the occupation forces barged their way into the village, deploying in the vicinity of the Council and local schools, in the downtown part of the city, and at the eastern entrance.

He added that the heavily armed soldiers fired volleys of teargas canisters and concussion grenades, causing several villagers to suffocate from excessive teargas inhalation.

In the course of the raid, the soldiers broke into the house of a villager who was recently released from Israeli imprisonment as part of the third batch under the Gaza ceasefire agreement, and threatened him along with his family with reprisals as a means to prevent any "public displays of joy”.

Israel’s 15-month genocidal aggression on Gaza killed at least 47,460 Palestinians and injured over 111,580 others.

The 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 are conducted without 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.