Israeli forces kill Palestinian and blow up home in Nablus

Israeli forces killed a man in a raid on the northern West Bank city of Nablus on Thursday and destroyed the family home  of a Palestinian prisoner.

The Palestinian health ministry identified the victim as 20-year-old Yahya Al-Anis, a resident of Nablus, and said he died after receiving a bullet to the head.

20-year-old young Palestinian man Khalil Yahya Al-Anis has died from wounds sustained by Israeli occupation troops during a military raid into Nablus city. pic.twitter.com/jv10lnEIuj

— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) June 15, 2023

"Yahya was a good young man, with dreams for the future and a simple life," his uncle, Ahmed Al-Anis, told The New Arab.

"He worked in construction, and during the night he spent time out with his friends, just like last night when he was killed.

"His parents received the news with strength, but they are still shocked and prefer not to speak to the media, as the rest of the family are preparing for the funeral this afternoon."

Palestinians have nothing but stones to defend themselves when the Israeli army terrorizes the city of Nablus: pic.twitter.com/u4aDLcnhrm

— Bint (@PalBint) June 15, 2023

Israeli forces also detonated the family apartment of a Palestinian prisoner held in an Israeli jail in Nablus. 

Usama Al-Tawil is accused of engaging Israeli forces, north of Nablus, last October, leaving one Israeli soldier dead. The attack was claimed by the Nablus-based Palestinian group ‘The Lions’ Den’.

The Israeli raid on Thursday lasted for more than six hours, after they were confronted by local Palestinian civilians and armed fighters.

The Israeli army claimed Palestinians opened fire and hurled explosives at soldiers, causing damage to several military vehicles. Troops in the occupation force used "riot dispersal means and fire" against the Palestinians.

WATCH: The moment when Israeli occupation troops fired live bullets at Palestinian civilians during a military raid into Balata camp in Nablus yesterday, murdering the 19-year-old youth Fares Hashash. pic.twitter.com/8JnELjFhe7

— Kuffiya (@Kuffiyateam) June 14, 2023

Witnesses said Nablus residents were alerted to Israeli military movements around the city before the assault was launched.

"Before the occupation raided the city, there was a lot of people in the streets and markets, then news began to spread that the occupation army was gathering at various entrances," Nisreen Ghazal, a resident of Nablus, told The New Arab.

She said that residents rushed home, clogging up the roads, moments before a large convoy of Israeli armoured vehicles entered toward Nablus city centre.

Nablus |

Israeli occupation forces threw tear gas at Rafidia hospital “main hospital in Nablus”, the gas reached inside the medical sections in the hospital. pic.twitter.com/XChBe8GkiE

— Younis | يونس (@ytirawi) June 14, 2023

"Right in front of my house, confrontations were going on between occupation soldiers and young men, who would run after the armored vehicles and throw all kinds of objects at them, then run for safety when the soldiers opened fire," she continued.

"The soldiers also evacuated several families from the surrounding of the Tawils’ house as they prepared the explosives, and then in the morning they detonated it."

Israeli forces systematically destroy the family homes of Palestinians it accuses of deadly attacks against Israelis.

Last week, Israeli forces detonated an apartment block in Ramallah belonging to the family of 27-year-old Islam Froukh, accused of a bomb attack in Jerusalem. The destruction of the home left his parents and five sisters homeless.

Human rights groups consider this Israeli policy a form of collective punishment and a possible war crime.