Monday evening, the sleepy town of Al-Khader, south of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank, was thrown into disorder after Israeli soldiers entered the town on a military incursion that wounded dozens of Palestinians. It was a well-planned operation that saw a massive show of military force launched against several locations, chiefly, Al-Bawwaba, Big Mosque, the Jerusalem-Hebron Road Saifi and the Dar Mahmoud neighborhoods.
Then, a few weeks later, several military jeeps rolled into town, and life for the residents became immediately upended, according to local media reports. Eyewitnesses described confusion and fear as soldiers fired tear gas canisters randomly, some of which hit houses and shops. Noxious fumes billowed thickly, compelling families to retreat inside or find shelter away from the area. The attack left many Palestinians, including children and elderly people, with severe tear gas inhalation, for whom urgent medical treatment was needed.
The invasion was characterized by residents as both sudden and aggressive. “They came suddenly,” said Ahmed Nasser, a shopkeeper whose shop was damaged in the raid. “We went from closing up for the day one moment, to soldiers and smoke filling our streets the next. My wife and I barely had time to close the windows before the gas came in.”
The use of tear gas has been a long controversial issue in the area with the human rights organizations condemning the use of it inappropriately among the civilians. The tear gas shells that had been fired this time also instilled fear among the population with the long term health hazards. Doctors and volunteer nurse teams hastened the treatment of the injured with oxygen masks and primary treatment amidst the frenzy.
Kifl Hares Invasion
In a similar although different incident throughout the course of the day, the Israeli troops had invaded Kifl Hares north of Salfit in the central area of the West Bank. There soldiers had made door-to-door raids and had gone into and plundered houses and questioned residents at gunpoint. The residents had been subjected to humiliation searches and had possessions thrown and smashed around throughout the raids.
“The soldiers smashed the door and turned the entire place upside down,” said Fatima Mahmoud, a mother of three and resident of the searched houses. They didn’t find anything they were suspicious of,” she added, “but they did leave a mess behind—and a household that won’t sleep this night with fear.”
Such operations are well within the broader scheme of military operations that have unfolded across territory under occupation, regularly justified by officials as necessary actions in defense of alleged threatening militants. However, the critics have pointed out that these operations typically take a toll on ordinary civilians, aggravating and deepening tensions in the Palestinian public.
“The raids are unjustified acts of collective punishment,” condemned the local leaders. “Our people are living under constant threat,” said Sameer Abu Ali, spokesperson for Al-Khader’s municipal council. “Every day brings new violations-new injuries, new destruction. When will it end?”
Night fell over Al-Khader and Kifl Hares, while the residents tried to tidy up in the aftermath of the events; Another reminder, to many, of the nettlesome anatomy of life under occupation: of uncertainty, fear, and resilience.
As international observers continue watching the ongoing events in this area, calls for accountability as well as restraint become even louder. Even so, the people living in such towns have to bear the brunt of violence and upheaval, seemingly far from the peace they so much desire.
