On Wednesday at dawn, Israeli soldiers shot a Palestinian teenage boy, abducted two young men, and caused extensive destruction in the town of Qabatia, south of Jenin, in the northern occupied West Bank.
Media sources reported that several military vehicles invaded the town shortly after midnight.
Military bulldozers then began demolishing streets and infrastructure for several hours as drones flew overhead.
During the incursion, soldiers stormed and ransacked multiple homes before abducting two young men.
In addition, medical sources confirmed that the soldiers shot a 17-year-old boy in the abdomen with a live round before Palestinian medics transported him to a hospital in Jenin for urgent treatment.
Qabatia Mayor Ahmad Zakarna stated that Israeli forces destroyed electricity and water networks, bulldozed streets, and used several homes as military posts, occupying their rooftops.
Due to the ongoing invasion, all schools in the town remained closed, and families were advised to keep their children at home for safety.
The invasion in Qabatia comes amid the continued Israeli military offensive in Jenin and the Jenin refugee camp, which has persisted for 121 days.
The complete closure of Jenin camp continues, with the occupation preventing access while carrying out widespread demolition operations aimed at reshaping the camp’s landscape.
According to municipal estimates, nearly 600 homes in the refugee camp have been entirely demolished, while the remaining residences have suffered partial destruction and are now uninhabitable.
The city of Jenin also faces severe damage to its buildings, homes, and infrastructure, particularly in the eastern neighborhood and the al-Hadaf area.
Hundreds of families from the Jenin refugee camp, along with thousands from Jenin city and surrounding areas, remain forcibly displaced.
The municipality estimates that the number of displaced residents from both the camp and the city has exceeded 22,000—roughly 23% of the area’s total population.
The economic situation in Jenin continues to deteriorate amid massive financial losses caused by the invasion.
Business closures have increased, with commercial activity declining, especially from visitors outside the city.
Demolition attacks and infrastructure destruction have severely impacted business districts, particularly in western neighborhoods, where economic paralysis is nearly total. Initial estimates suggest the invasion has caused over $300 million in losses, with roughly 4,000 people in Jenin city and 2,000 in the refugee camp losing their jobs.
Since the Israeli offensive began in Jenin on January 21, 40 Palestinians have been killed, with dozens more injured or abducted by occupation forces.
While exact numbers remain unknown due to Israeli restrictions and its refusal to cooperate with international human rights groups, some reports indicate that about 21,000 Palestinians are held captive by Israel, including 3,405 held under the arbitrary “Administrative Detention” without charges or trial, 350 children, and 87 women, in addition to more than 1,886 detains from Gaza classified as “unlawful combatants” without evidence or trial.
Since October 7, 2023, Israeli soldiers and paramilitary colonizers have killed 981 Palestinians, including 199 children, 21 women, 15 elderly individuals, one journalist, and two medics, while injuring at least 7,000 others, including children and women, across the occupied West Bank.
