Palestinian dies after inhaling tear gas during Israeli raid near Jerusalem

Palestinian dies after inhaling tear gas during Israeli raid near Jerusalem
Israeli forces raided the Qalandia refugee camp north of Jerusalem on Monday, in the wake of a wave of settlers' attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank. Local sources say three youths were wounded with one in critical conditions.
3 min read
West Bank
25 January, 2022
Three Palestinians were injured in the Israeli raid, according to local sources. [Getty]

A Palestinian man died after inhaling tear gas fired by Israeli forces on Monday, in the Qalandia refugee camp north of Jerusalem, while three more residents were injured, according to local sources.

57-year-old Fahmi Hamad reportedly died after being taken to hospital, due to asphyxiation by tear gas during an Israeli raid in the refugee camp. “Fahmi was at the camp’s medical center, looking for his diabetes medicine”, his brother, Mohammad Hamad, told The New Arab.

“Israeli forces were firing large quantities of tear gas and Fahmi began to choke while in the medical center”, Hamad explained. “His condition was so bad that he was taken to the Ramallah hospital.”

According to Hamad, his brother was given oxygen and sent home a few hours later. “He remained very weak, and continued coughing”, he pointed out. “When the sun set down his condition became worse. He passed away early in the night.”

Israeli forces had began to raid the Qalandia refugee camp around midday. Israeli media reported that “a security operation” was under way in the area.

“Israeli forces entered the camp with hundreds of soldiers, firing a cloud of tear gas”, Karim Abu Latifeh, a member of the emergency committee in Qalandia refugee camp, told The New Arab.

“There was so much tear gas that both boys and girls' middle schools had to suspend classes and send students home,” said Abu Latifeh.

“The youth in the camp clashed with Israeli forces, throwing stones at them,” he added, “Israeli forces fired rubber bullets and wounded three youths; one in the leg, one in the chest, who thankfully survived, and the third in the face and his case is critical.”

Israeli media reported that one Israeli soldier had been injured by a stone. Sources from the Qalandia camp said that Israeli forces had detained one Palestinian and confiscated three cars.

Tensions rose across the West Bank on Monday, as Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian cars and houses in the town of Hawarah, south of Nablus. Local sources said three Palestinians were injured, including a 17-year-old who was reportedly hospitalised.