Kathmandu— Israeli forces conducted a large-scale raid on Thursday in the Qalandiya refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, injuring at least 51 Palestinians. The Jerusalem Governorate reported that Israeli soldiers demolished commercial shops near the Qalandiya checkpoint and imposed a curfew on Kafr Aqab town while sealing off roads linking the area to Jerusalem. This operation comes amid an uptick in military and settler violence against Palestinian communities.

Injuries and Arrests

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) stated that 35 people were hospitalized after severe beatings, six more were treated at the scene, and one person was hit by a rubber-coated steel bullet. Six others suffered from tear gas inhalation. Israeli soldiers also fired stun grenades at journalists stationed at the camp’s entrance and ordered them to leave. Dozens of Palestinians, including children and women, were detained for field interrogations inside homes converted into makeshift holding sites.

Rights Groups' Concerns

Rights groups have recorded more than 11,000 Israeli military and settler attacks across the West Bank in the first half of this year alone, with over 2,300 Palestinians forced from their homes due to settler violence. A United Nations-appointed commission concluded that Israeli authorities have repeatedly failed to prevent foreseeable settler attacks and investigate those responsible. In some cases, Israeli authorities directly enabled violence through army protection and provision of weapons and funding to settlers.

Political Context

Since taking on authority over civilian affairs in the occupied West Bank, Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich has approved or re-established more than 104 illegal settlements and 160 agricultural outposts. Meanwhile, Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir has distributed thousands of firearms to settlers through state-backed “civil defence” programs. Several Western governments have sanctioned individual settlers as well as sitting ministers over their roles in the violence.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.