Israel army raids Ramallah, demolishes home of Palestinian prisoner

Israeli occupation forces blew up the home of Palestinian prisoner, Islam Froukh, in the early hours of this morning after raiding the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah with over 100 army vehicles.

Following attacks against local Palestinian youths, who were protesting the raid and demolition, occupation forces used explosives to destroy Froukh’s home at 5:30am, displacing his parents and four sisters.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health said at least six people were transferred to hospital for treatment as a result, including three who sustained gunshot wounds by Israeli forces. Photojournalist Moumen Sumrein was among those shot and is being treated in hospital for a head wound, reported Wafa news agency.

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🚨Breaking news:

A Palestinian journalist in full uniform, Momen Samreen, was deliberately shot in the head by Israeli occupation forces, during his work in Ramallah. His condition is serious!

Momen is a very known journalist & works with various Palestinian media outlets pic.twitter.com/7BAFPJfkfW

— Younis Tirawi | يونس (@ytirawi) June 8, 2023

At least 158 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since January, the ministry added. Israeli raids on Palestinian towns and cities in the occupied West Bank have been an almost nightly occurrence and have led to the majority of deaths.

Froukh was arrested by Israeli forces last year for his alleged involvement in carrying out a blast in a bus station in Jerusalem, which killed two Israelis. No trial has been held to determine his innocence.

The Israeli military said its forces were operating in Ramallah “to demolish the residence of the terrorist who carried out the bombing attack in Jerusalem last November.”

Israeli forces use home demolitions as a policy against the families of Palestinians it accuses of attacking Israelis. The policy has been condemned by UN experts and human rights groups as a form of collective punishment.

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