Israeli forces assault elderly Palestinian woman in Old City of Hebron

Israeli forces late Friday reportedly assaulted an elderly woman and her son and grandson in the Old City of the southern occupied West Bank district of Hebron, according to Palestinian news agency Wafa.

Wafa sourced Palestinian security sources as saying that Israeli soldiers had broken into the home of Fatima Natsheh, 70, in the Old City, and proceeded to assault her and her son Hasan, 35, and grandson Falah, 23. The soldiers reportedly used the butt of their guns to hit them, causing injuries that necessitated treatment at the hospital.

An Israeli army spokesperson told Ma’an News Agency she would look into reports on the incident.

Mistreatment of Palestinians in the Hebron area has been common since the city was divided in 1997 under the Oslo agreements. The majority of the city was placed under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority, while the Old City and surrounding areas were placed under Israeli military control, known as H2.

The area is home to 30,000 Palestinians and around 800 Israeli settlers who live under the protection of Israeli forces. Hebron residents frequently report attacks and harassment by the settlers, carried out in the presence of the forces.