JERUSALEM (Ma’an) — Israeli forces assaulted Palestinian residents during a raid in the occupied East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan on Wednesday evening, as two Palestinians were detained.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center reported that six Palestinians sustained bruises and suffered from excessive tear gas inhalation during a raid targeting the home of one Muhammad al-Abbasi in the area of Ein al-Luza, during which residents said they were assaulted by Israeli police officers.
The center added that no reason was given for the raid in the al-Abbasi home, during which Israeli pushed and pepper-sprayed women, children, and elderly Palestinians, pointing their weapons at youth.
The al-Abbasi family said that Israeli forces beat and shoved 65-year-old Amin al-Abbasi, while Muhammad al-Abbasi’s 55-year-old mother, young men Imad, Ayman, and Muhammad al-Abbasi, and an infant, Jude, suffered from excessive tear-gas inhalation.
Clashes erupted in the neighborhood following the home raid, during which Israeli forces reportedly fired rubber-coated steel bullets and stun grenades in an haphazard fashion, before detaining Muhammad Ibrahim Ruweidi, 20, and Muhammad Imad Taha, 19.
Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said in a statement on Wednesday that an Israeli police officer was “lightly injured” in Silwan “when responding to (an) incident,” adding that “two suspects” were detained at the scene.
He was not immediately available for comment on Thursday for further details.
Meanwhile, the Wadi Hilweh Information Center reported that Israeli settlers assaulted locals in the Batn al-Hawa area of Silwan late on Wednesday.
The center said that the settlers were “provocatively” touring the area and pepper-sprayed local Palestinian teenagers.
Israeli police forces raided Batn al-Hawa as an altercation erupted between Palestinians and the settlers, and also pepper-sprayed local residents.
The Wadi Hilweh information center identified some of those who were affected by the pepper spray as Uday al-Rajabi, Maher Abd al-Wahed, Yazan al-Rajabi and Anas Qarrin.
Israeli raids in Palestinian towns, villages, and refugee camps are a daily occurrence in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Due to the typically aggressive nature of the raids, clashes often erupt between local Palestinian youth who throw stones and are met in response with live fire, rubber-coated steel bullets, and tear gas, often resulting in serious, sometimes fatal injuries.
Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem routinely report mistreatment by Israeli forces, with Israeli authorities cracking down on Palestinian youths in recent years, while Palestinians have often accused Israeli forces of detaining Palestinian youths without any evidence of wrongdoing, and assaulting them in the process.
