Girl 'killed inside home' as Israeli forces resume their incursion into the West Bank.
Wednesday marked Lujain Musleh's burial in Kafr Dan, one day after she was shot and killed during an Israeli raid.
On day seven of an extensive Israeli operation, a burial has been conducted for a 16-year-old Palestinian girl who was allegedly slain by Israeli forces in the northern part of the West Bank under Israeli occupation. According to Lujain Musleh's father, she was fatally wounded in the head on Tuesday when soldiers encircled a neighboring home in Kafr Dan, which is just beyond Jenin.
She was shot through the window of her residence. The soldiers "fired back at a suspect who observed" them, according to the Israeli military, after armed combatants opened fire on them. According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, since Israel began what it claimed was an operation to break up "terrorist cells," thirty Palestinians had died.
The ministry claims that several kids are among the deceased, however the militant factions Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad asserted responsibility for the majority of them. According to the Israeli military, one Israeli soldier has died. Since Hamas's deadly attack on Israel on October 7 and the subsequent conflict in Gaza, there has been an increase in terrorism on the West Bank.
According to the rights organization Defence for Children Palestine (DCIP), Israeli soldiers stormed Kafr Dan on Tuesday at around 11:30 (09:30 BST), which led to fighting with armed Palestinians. It stated, "Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition and shells at the house, surrounding and besieging homeowners of a suspected Palestinian man." "An Israeli sharpshooter shot 16-year-old Loujain in the head through a window at approximately 14:10 while she was in her family's home." Loujain's father, Osama, addressed media during her procession to her funeral on Wednesday, saying, "She didn't go to the roofing material, she didn't throw a stone, and she wasn't carrying a weapon." "She merely looked out the window, and that's when the soldier saw her and fired.
According to the Israel the Armed Forces (IDF), soldiers "called for residents to evacuate from each structure prior to the battle of shooting that took place" after encircling two residential buildings in Kafr Dan where they thought armed fighters were hiding. "In order to eliminate the danger, the IDF soldiers in the area returned fire at an individual who was observing the security personnel in the area after the terrorists opened fire on them during the encirclement of the structures," the statement continued.
The information that a 16-year-old Palestinian girl was murdered during the firefight is known to the IDF. The incident's specifics are being examined. Photographs taken during the funeral saw mourners bearing a body covered in a Hamas flag. Even in cases where the deceased were not followers of the movements, friends or family frequently wrap the remains of those slain by Israel in the flags of those groups.
Additionally, DCIP referenced records it had gathered, stating that on Tuesday morning, Mohammed Kanaan, 14, was shot and killed by an Israeli sniper at the entrance to the Tulkarm refugee camp in Tulkarm city. The IDF declared that it was investigating the report. In response to a question about the claims of fatalities among civilians from the BBC on Tuesday, the IDF stated that its forces strictly adhered to international law. It said, "The IDF has never targeted civilians intentionally and will never do so." "There are risks associated with staying in an active battle zone, especially with the continual gunfire. The IDF will keep up its defenses against threats and work to keep civilian casualties to a minimum.
Tuesday's gunfight in Tulkarm resulted in the deaths of two armed combatants, according to the IDF, who also discovered a weapon of mass destruction inside a baby stroller. It was announced on Monday night that 25 suspects had been taken into custody and that 14 "terrorists" had died in Jenin since the implementation began. "Every terrorist must be destroyed, and those who surrender must be taken into custody. Use every power, every person who is needed, with all of your strength—there is no other option," Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told IDF officers on Wednesday.
Mohammed Mustafa, the leader of the government of the Palestinian Authority, stated on Tuesday that the raids may have resulted in the largest losses in 20 years, particularly in terms of infrastructure. Concerning Jenin in particular, the president of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees stated that the city had been "ravaged by bloodshed and damage." Some of Jenin's roadways are impassable for cars due to the extent of the devastation. Many of the stores in the city center have been demolished by Israeli bulldozers, but the stores outside the perimeter remain open.
According to the local government the IDF destroyed 20 km (12 miles) of communications, power, water, and sewage networks, as well as more than 70% of the city's roadways and 80% of its water supply. "Terrorists in [the West Bank] determine terrorist facilities and plant explosives beneath highways that target IDF troops in their efforts to prevent threats to the lives of Israeli citizens," the IDF stated. "They abuse innocent people and use them as human shields for murderous purposes." Additionally, it promised to move swiftly to give local governments the ability to restore damaged infrastructure and guarantee the availability of critical services.
Throughout the operation, Israeli forces have also occupied the government-owned hospital in Jenin. Dr. Wisam Baker, the hospital director, told the media on Monday that ambulances were the only way for anyone to enter and exit, even medical professionals like him who were returning home. He said that police searched the cars and verified the identities of the occupants. He claimed that ambulance drivers are "afraid" to transport injured patients to hospitals or are delayed entering due to searches, adding that this could endanger lives. Ten tanks of water are brought in each day, and the hospital has been operating on a generator, according to Dr. Baker. Food has also been delivered by ambulances.
When questioned about the troops outside the hospital, the IDF said that armed groups were abusing institutions that were covered by international law, including hospitals. The hospitals are still running normally. Inspections of patients are carried out as necessary, as long as it doesn't interfere with their care or jeopardize their health, the statement stated. "Tirelessly delivering medical and emergency assistance to the trapped citizens in the Jenin camp, despite constant obstructions by Israeli occupation actions, who have hampered [their] work," the Palestinian Red Crescent said of its teams' efforts. On Monday, it was reported that two paramedics and a volunteer doctor had been hurt while on duty, and that many Jenin locals were in dire require of food, medicine, or infant formula.
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