Israeli army kill one Palestinian, use toddler as human shield in Jericho raid

CORRECTION: A total of three, not two, Palestinians were injured during the raid, in addition to 21-year-old Mahmoud Hamdan who was confirmed dead in the evening. This article has also been updated to include testimony from a Red Crescent paramedic at the scene.
Jerusalem24 – The Israeli army launched a short and brutal military raid on Aqbat Jaber refugee camp in Jericho in the occupied West Bank this afternoon, killing a 21-year-old Palestinian and injuring a further three including a 13-year-old child.
The army fired “Energa” anti-tank missiles at a residential building in the camp after besieging it. Mobile phone footage shows a plume of dark smoke rising from the camp during the raid.
Israeli soldiers obstructed an ambulance crew while they were treating an injured man whose condition the Red Crescent described as “critical”, and detained him before driving him away in the back of a military jeep, as seen on live television.
Live television footage also showed Israeli soldiers using a Palestinian father and his toddler son as human shields while they besieged the house.
A Palestinian paramedic who tried to treat the “very critically” injured man told Al-Ghad TV that he was shot with live ammunition in the upper body.
Al-Ghad TV correspondent reported that the man was riding his motorcycle when he was “surprised” by the presence of the Israeli unit, who commanded him to stop before shooting him.
Israeli media erroneously reported that “the Palestinian Red Crescent reported an additional suspect was killed in an exchange of gunfire with the Israeli army – apparently while trying to flee from the soldiers.” This claim is in fact attributable to the Israeli army statement on the invasion.
The Ministry of Health identified the detained, injured man as 21-year-old Mahmoud Jamal Hamdan, and confirmed his death shortly before 8 PM.
Israeli forces and settlers have now killed 66 Palestinians including 13 children in the occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem in 2023.
[box type=”shadow” align=”” class=”” width=””]Statement from Red Crescent paramedic Jumaa Qatrawi regarding deceased Mahmoud Hamdan:
“We received a call around 12:45 PM. We were able to reach the injured since the undercover forces weren’t followed yet by military reinforcement. We reached the injured, provided the required treatment and stopped the bleeding, his condition was stable.”
“Then we tried to evacuate the young man but the Israeli forces prevented us, and moved us to another location where we were facing local youth who were throwing stones.”
“After a few minutes, the young man went into cardiac arrest, we performed CPR while the soldiers tried to take him and prevent us from treating him.”
“They got aggressive, and I told them ‘If you won’t allow me to treat him, at least bring another Israeli ambulance, and check if you really want him,’ (they didn’t know if this young man was a wanted suspect to start with).”
“My colleague asked the soldier where the [Israeli] ambulance was going to be coming from, to understand how long it would take to arrive, and [the soldier] simply answered ‘From Thailand.’”
“After a few minutes, they said an ambulance arrived, but it was a military jeep. They took the oxygen mask off the young man, and removed all other devices attached to him. They pushed his body into the back of the military jeep.”
“They don’t respect the Red Crescent even though they understand what it means and what international law says.”[/box]
“Frightened the children”
The Prisoners’ Club announced the Israeli army arrested six Palestinians, including four brothers and their nephew, identified as 55-year-old Abdel-Nasser Musa Shloun, a member of the board of directors of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, 47-year-old Muhammad, his 24-year-old son, Saleh, 44-year-old Maher, and 39-year-old Amer, all of whom are ex-detainees.
An eyewitness told Al-Ghad TV: “A special forces unit entered Jericho and shot at a child, 13 years old, then they invaded the homes. They arrested five brothers and their nephew, from the Shloun family in a barbaric way after they invaded their house.”
The eyewitness also claimed that the soldiers vandalized the home, frightened the children, and assaulted women in the house.
The Director of Jericho Governmental Hospital, Dr. Nasser Al-Anani, said three had treated three people, one for tears gas inhalation, one after being shot with a rubber-coated metal bullet, and one who was run over by a military vehicle.
Israeli media reported that “three Palestinian fighters” were wounded during “an exchange of fire” with the Israeli army in the Aqbat Jaber refugee camp, while Palestinian media said that an Israeli soldier was treated at the scene and then transferred by Israeli paramedics.
Undercover units
The Israeli army says it arrested the perpetrators of a shooting attack that killed an Israeli-American settler near Jericho on Monday, and seized weapons at the scene.
“In a joint activity by members of the IDF, the Shin Bet, and the Border Police in the village of Aqbat Jaber, and based on intelligence, the two suspected of committing the shooting attack on Route 90, which resulted in the death of an Israeli citizen, were arrested.”
“Undercover units entered the refugee camp in a vehicle with a Palestinian plate, then followed by other undercover units, and later by an Israeli military convoy.”
The Israeli army said that the arrested were transferred to the Shin Bet for interrogation.