Jerusalem: Israeli occupation forces on Wednesday imposed heavy fines on Palestinian storeowners in Kafr Aqab neighborhood and Kalandia refugee camp, on the northernmost outskirts of Jerusalem. A sizable army force and municipal crews entered the neighborhood and the refugee camp, sealing off the main road connecting Ramallah to Jerusalem and obstructing Palestinians' movement.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, soldiers broke into several stores and imposed heavy fines on their owners. During subsequent confrontations, the soldiers fired barrages of concussion grenades and tear gas canisters, leading to several suffocation cases.
Kafr Aqab, while considered part of the occupied city of Jerusalem by Israel, is neglected and isolated from the city by Israel's apartheid wall. The approximately 60,000 residents retain Jerusalem ID cards and continue to pay taxes to the Israeli occupation municipality but receive minimal services.
Kalandia refugee camp, located within Area C and East Jerusalem near the main checkpoint between Ramallah and Jerusalem, is adjacent to Israel's apartheid wall. The military checkpoint, which shares its name with the camp, is the busiest in the occupied West Bank for pedestrian and vehicular traffic. The area sees frequent confrontations between occupation forces and Palestinians, with the Israeli forces conducting regular raids that have resulted in injuries and fatalities among residents.