Earlier this week, while Israeli warplanes were resuming their carpet bombing campaign in Gaza, Israel also expanded its offensive on the West Bank, this time reaching the al-Ain refugee camp west of Nablus. Israeli forces entered the camp in the early hours of Wednesday morning when an undercover Israeli force opened fire on a vehicle, killing its driver, Odai Qatouni, and confiscated his body.
Israeli forces took over several houses and used them as military positions for 14 hours, forcing some 10 Palestinian families to leave their homes. Ameer Said, 32, a resident of al-Ain camp, told the Palestinian daily al-Ayyam that Israeli soldiers entered the three-story building where he lives and forced all 20 residents to leave. According to Said, Israeli soldiers didn’t allow him or his family and neighbors any time to take their belongings. ….more