Israeli occupation forces abducted a Palestinian and injured two others on Monday during a large‑scale military invasion of the Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank, where soldiers surrounded a home, fired live rounds, and threatened to demolish the property if a resident they described as “wanted” did not surrender.
The invasion began shortly before noon, when a large Israeli force stormed the refugee camp and deployed in several neighborhoods.
Witnesses said undercover Israeli units first surrounded a home in the Schools Street area, after which four armored military vehicles advanced from the Awarta military roadblock toward the center of the camp to reinforce the siege.
They added that soldiers used loudspeakers to demand that a resident surrender himself and threatened to blow up or shell the house if he refused.
Additional military vehicles later invaded the area from Jerusalem Street, tightening the cordon around the neighborhood and preventing residents from moving through the surrounding streets.
During the siege, the soldiers fired heavy barrages of live rounds, rubber‑coated steel bullets, and gas bombs at the targeted home and surrounding alleys.
Journalists attempting to cover the events said soldiers fired live ammunition in their direction, forcing them to retreat from several streets.
Medical sources confirmed that a 14‑year‑old child was injured by shrapnel from live ammunition, while Palestinian Medical Relief crews treated an 18‑year‑old who was also struck by shrapnel.
Several other residents suffered severe tear‑gas inhalation after soldiers fired gas canisters throughout the densely populated refugee camp.
After surrounding the home for an extended period, the soldiers stormed the property, ransacked its contents, and abducted the young man before withdrawing. The house sustained damage from the military gunfire and the forced entry.
Israeli media outlets reported that an undercover Israeli forces unit had been operating inside the Balata refugee camp since the morning hours in an attempt to abduct a Palestinian who refused to surrender.
According to those reports, the unit used “special means” and operated with the support of a military drone circling above the camp.
The invasion caused widespread panic among residents, particularly children, as soldiers spread through the market area and continued firing live ammunition and tear‑gas canisters while maintaining the siege on the targeted home.
Earlier Monday, the army abducted several Palestinians during multiple invasions across the occupied West Bank.
