Palestinians wounded, detained as Israel raids, besieges W. Bank refugee camp

Israeli forces detained a number of Palestinians and left more wounded after raiding and besieging a refugee camp in the occupied West Bank early on Saturday before pulling out.

From dawn, the Israeli military surrounded the Aqbat Jabr camp, east of the West Bank, prompting clashes with Palestinian residents.

The camp was cut off from the town of Jericho and turned into a military zone, while ambulances were prevented from entering, local sources told The New Arab’s sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

تغطية صحفية: اشتباكات مع الاحتلال خلال محاصرة مطارد داخل منزل في مخيم عقبة جبر في أريحا. pic.twitter.com/i7DfpFOPg8

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) February 4, 2023

تغطية صحفية: "اشتباكات مع الاحتلال خلال محاصرة مطارد داخل منزل في مخيم عقبة جبر في أريحا". pic.twitter.com/1fpNhQYQXT

— المركز الفلسطيني للإعلام (@PalinfoAr) February 4, 2023

Israel claims the perpetrators behind a shooting at a restaurant near the Dead Sea eight days ago were holed up in the camp.

The Israeli army has boosted its forces around the area and increased raids since that shooting. The regional Palestinian governor said earlier this week that Jericho was "under siege".

Israeli forces deployed snipers on the rooftops of houses and surrounded the entrances to the Maqayta neighbourhood in the Aqbat Jabr camp, according to the sources. The raids resulted in confrontations with the Palestinians.

تغطية صحفية: قوات الاحتلال تواصل حصار منزل في مخيم عقبة جبر في أريحا. pic.twitter.com/0A3TnVhYlN

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) February 4, 2023

The Palestinian health ministry released a statement at 9:20 am (6:20 GMT) saying that six of the camp’s residents had been injured, including two in the chest and the abdomen, and were taken to hospital.

One person who was in a critical condition was transferred to a hospital in Ramallah.

It was not immediately clear how many people were detained.

Israeli bulldozers partially demolished a house in the camp. It was not clear who the residency belonged to, but some reports claimed it belonged to one of the perpetrators behind the restaurant shooting last week who Israeli forces were searching for Aqbat Jabr.

Videos shared online showed the demolished house.

Israeli forces withdrew from the camp before noon on Saturday.

تغطية صحفية: مشاهد الدمار الذي خلفه الاحتلال خلال اقتحامه الكبير الذي فشل باعتقال مطاردين في مخيم عقبة جبر ب #أريحا.#فريق_مجاهدون pic.twitter.com/1cY2LXDmxU

— وصال 𓂆🇵🇸 (@WESAL_1995) February 4, 2023

تغطية صحفية: قوات الاحتلال تنسحب من مخيم عقبة جبر في أريحا. pic.twitter.com/fDq00lmrhW

— شبكة قدس الإخبارية (@qudsn) February 4, 2023

The escalation follows weeks of violence in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem - both annexed by Israel in 1967 - that has seen some of the worst attacks in years against Palestinians and Israelis.

Last month, a deadly Israeli raid in the West Bank town of Jenin killed up to 10 Palestinians, and a shooting attack at an illegal Israeli settlement in East Jerusalem killed seven.

A flare up has also been seen in the besieged Gaza Strip lately, where Israeli forces have launched a number of airstrikes claiming to be targeting the Islamic Jihad and Hamas groups.

Palestinian fighters from Gaza reacted by firing rockets into Israel.