Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have wounded a Palestinian secondary-school student in the town of Tuqu‘, southeast of Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank.
Local sources report that numerous IOF troops were deployed to the town over the last few days. Students’ education was interrupted due to the presence of increased numbers of occupation troops.
IOF forces used rubber-coated bullets, flashbangs, and tear gas against protesting students, causing several injuries, including a serious injury due to rubber-coated bullet fire.
Occupation forces have since sealed off the entire town, imposing siege-like conditions on Tuqu‘’s approximately 15,000 residents.
Tuqu‘ is subjected to constant attacks by occupation forces and Israeli settlers. The town is currently surrounded by five settlements, which are illegal under international law.
Israeli forces systematically use rubber-coated bullets, tear gas, and even live fire to disperse demonstrators in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem (or al-Quds, as it is known in Arabic). Such tactics have killed 9 Palestinian children since the beginning of 2021 and left dozens of others with serious injuries. Over the same period, occupation forces have arrested more than 350 children and trialled many of them as if they were adults.
During the last high phase of Israeli aggression against Gazans, earlier this year, Israel killed 69 Palestinian children and injured hundreds more, leaving many with permanent disabilities. At least fifty schools were damaged. Thousands of children were displaced due to Israel’s bombing campaign, leaving many traumatised.
The siege of occupied Tuqu‘ continues.
