Clashes as army raids West Bank hometown of Jerusalem attackers
3 soldiers, 4 Palestinians injured in fighting as IDF maps homes for demolition, carries out arrest operations
Israeli forces staged several raids in the northern West Bank town of Qabatiya Wednesday night and Thursday, arresting several people and preparing for demolition the homes of three Palestinian involved in a fatal Jerusalem attack hours earlier.
Three soldiers were lightly wounded by rock-throwing protesters during operations in the town. Four Palestinians were injured by troops returning fire, including one in critical condition after being shot in the head with a live bullet, according to the Palestinian Ma’an news agency.
Israel had closed off and set up checkpoints around the Jenin-area town Wednesday night following an attack by Ahmad Zakarna, Muhammad Kamil, and Ahmad Abu Al-Roub, who stabbed and shot police outside Jerusalem’s Old City, killing Hadar Cohen and seriously injuring another policewwoman.
All three were killed on the scene by responding forces.
The clashes broke out as troops withdrew from the town Thursday morning.
Overnight, IDF engineers mapped out the homes of the three attackers to prepare them for possible demolition, on order of the political leadership, the army said.
Israeli officials see home demolitions as a deterrent measure and often map out homes of attackers for future demolitions, though the actual razings usually do not occur until months after attacks if at all.
The policy has been criticized as collective punishment and ineffective.
Five arrests of suspects were also made during the operations, according to the army.
The closure of the town, put in place late Wednesday night, was expected to remain in place.
Border Police officer Cohen, 19, was due to be buried in her hometown of Or Yehuda Thursday afternoon.
Another policewomen was in serious but stable condition at the hospital, with wounds all over her body, including her head.
Visiting the wounded policewoman Thursday morning, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel had only flexed some of its muscles in the fight against terror.
“Qabatiya is closed off, the IDF and Shin Bet security service are making widespread arrests, we have voided many work permits for Israel and the attorney general told me yesterday that he has added a number of homes of terrorists for demolition and shuttering, and that’s only some of our efforts to fight terror,” Netanyahu said at the hospital.
The IDF said a total of 16 Palestinian men were arrested across the West Bank, including three men described as Hamas members, in overnight raids. Thirteen of those arrested are suspected of direct involvement in recent attacks on civilians and security forces, the army said.