Palestinian shot during IDF arrest sweep near Bethlehem

A Palestinian man was shot overnight Tuesday during an Israeli operation to arrest terror suspects in the Deheishe refugee camp outside Bethlehem.

The IDF said in a statement that rioters attacked soldiers with Molotov cocktails and stones as they carried out the arrests operation south of Jerusalem.

Soldiers opened fire, hitting the man and injuring him. He was brought to the Hadassah Hospital Ein Kerem for treatment to his injuries.

Three men were arrested during the operation.

The Palestinian Ma’an News Agency reported that the injured man was Akram al-Atrash, 23, and that he was in serious condition after suffering three gunshot wounds.

Local sources identified the arrested men as Moatasem Rkabban, Ahmed Macadam, and Ahmed Sarawi, the report said.

Three other Palestinians were arrested in other areas of the West Bank. One suspect, detained in Qalandiya refugee camp, was a wanted Hamas activist, according to the IDF statement.

Five of those arrested were detained for being involved in “popular terror,” the army said, employing a catch-all term used for clashes with security forces, rock throwing and other low-level violence.

All of the detainees were taken away for questioning.

Security forces also found a metal lathe used to manufacture illegal weapons in the town of Kafr ad-Dik. The lathe was confiscated by security forces, the IDF statement said.