Israeli forces continue wide-scale offensive in Qabatiya, resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries

JENIN: Israeli occupation forces have maintained a siege on the town of Qabatiya, located south of Jenin, since early Thursday morning. This ongoing offensive has resulted in the killing of at least three Palestinians and injuries to six others, two of whom were struck by an Israeli military vehicle during the incursion. According to local sources, Israeli troops stormed the town, encircling a residential home and bombarding it with shoulder-fired missiles. Eyewitness footage captured the moment when soldiers took the bodies of the three slain individuals from the rooftop of the besieged home. Following this, military bulldozers began demolishing the structure. Simultaneously, the forces advanced into the vicinity of Izzat Abu Rob School in the town during classes, accompanied by a military bulldozer, firing live ammunition around the area. Approximately 1,200 students and staff members remain trapped within the local education directorate, while eight schools in more remote locations have been evacuated. Our correspondent reported that many students suffered from tear gas inhalation due to the intense deployment of toxic gas by the Israeli forces near both Abu Rob and Qabatiya schools, leading to panic among students and teachers. Additionally, troops have prevented Palestinian Red Crescent teams from accessing the besieged home. Reports indicate that soldiers conducted searches from the rooftops of nearby buildings and detonated an explosive device in the vicinity, while also targeting journalists with tear gas. Infrastructure in Qabatiya has faced extensive damage, with Israeli heavy machinery vandalizing roads and a local police station in the town. With the murder of the three individuals in Qabatiya, the total number of Palestinians killed by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem since October 7, 2023, has risen to 710, including 160 children, 10 women, and 9 elderly individuals. Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA