JENIN, February 6, 2016 (WAFA) - A Palestinian man Saturday morning was shot and injured with a live round and dozens others suffocated during ongoing clashes with Israeli forces at the entrance of blockaded Qabaitya town, south of Jenin, said medical sources.
WAFA reported on Director of Palestine Red Crescent’s Ambulance Department in Jenin, Mahmoud al-Sa‘di as saying, that a Palestinian young man was shot and injured by a live round fired by Israeli forces during ongoing clashes at the entrance of the northern West Bank town, blockaded for the third consecutive day.
He added that several other Palestinians suffocated from excessive tear gas inhalation. They were all treated at the scene by Red Crescent paramedics.
This came as Israeli forces blockaded Qabatiya for the third day in a row after three locals carried out a fatal stabbing and gun attack in Jerusalem.
WAFA correspondent reported Israeli forces sealed off more roads, including dirt routes, with earth mounds, set up more checkpoints and turned several other local Palestinian houses into military outposts.
He noted that eight local families continued to be besieged by Israeli forces in their residential building in the vicinity of Qabatiya main vegetable market.
Troops declared the residential building a closed military zone, firing tear gas canisters and stun grenades as a means to deny any local access into and out of the building.
WAFA reported on Jenin military liaison department as saying that they received an urgent call from 35 locals who ran out of food supplies. Following this call, the liaison department helped them secure food and other supplies.
Middle East Eye reported on Israeli army spokesman as saying that the village, a home to about 25,000 Palestinians, would remain closed for at least a month and would be reopened only after it had passed a "situation assessment".
It reported the village‘s mayor, Mahmoud Kameel, as slamming Israel‘s actions as “unconscionable” and “amounting to collective punishment”.
“Punishing 25,000 people because of the actions of three teenage boys - in what country is that okay?" Kameel said.
“In what way does that make any sense?” he inquired.
“These people didn‘t do anything, but they are here stuck in their homes, not able to work, not able to live because Israel has chosen to punish tens of thousands for the actions of three boys.”
K.F. /T.R.
