Israeli Military Raids Escalate in West Bank Amid Ongoing Violence

Since October 7, 2023, Israeli military raids in areas dominated by Palestinian militants in the West Bank have increased, often leaving civilians with limited access to medical care and caught in the violence.

On September 10, Mohammed Abu Dayeh, a volunteer medic in the West Bank city of Tulkarm, was shot while attempting to save the life of 21-year-old Hiba Halawa. While the war in Gaza is currently halted by a cease-fire deal, the Israeli military is dramatically escalating its campaign in the West Bank, which it claims is targeting militant activities. This has resulted in widespread displacement and dozens of deaths.

Palestinians assert that these raids are among the most destructive in recent memory, with civilians and medics like Halawa and Abu Dayeh frequently caught in the crossfire. The incident occurred in the Tulkarm refugee camp, a densely populated area within the city. Many Palestinian families in this neighborhood fled or were forced from their homes following the creation of the state of Israel.

The region is now controlled by various factions of Palestinian militants, who state they are resisting the Israeli occupation. The Israeli military contends that the purpose of their raids is to combat terrorism. On the afternoon of September 10, Halawa was at home in Tulkarm with her family. At that time, Abu Dayeh was across the street treating a minor injury at a neighbor's house.

Abu Dayeh helped wrap Halawa in a blanket and attempted to carry her to an ambulance outside the neighborhood. However, they did not manage to reach safety. Other medical volunteers believed Abu Dayeh had a better chance of survival, so they quickly moved him out of the area, leaving Halawa and her mother behind, a moment that was captured on video.

Eyewitnesses told The New York Times that both Halawa and Abu Dayeh were shot by Israeli military personnel who were positioned nearby around 2 p.m. The Israeli military denied any involvement in the shootings, asserting they occurred during an incident that was unrelated to a two-day raid that began in the camp around the same time. Regardless of the source of the gunfire, their story underscores the dangers faced by many who inhabit this region.

Halawa was transported to a hospital, where she died within hours. Abu Dayeh is now facing a long recovery and is learning to walk again. His injury is part of a wave of attacks on medical personnel in the West Bank, documented by the World Health Organization and other agencies. We spoke to two paramedics about the role of volunteers like Abu Dayeh.

While the Israeli military denied targeting medics or obstructing access to medical care, they acknowledged that soldiers sometimes stop and search ambulances during their operations to target suspected militant activities. Halawa's family now visits her grave in the Tulkarm camp's cemetery.