Israeli forces raided a Palestinian school in the West Bank city of Bethlehem on Wednesday, according to local residents.
Soldiers fired rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades during the raid on the school in the town of Tuqu’ in eastern Bethlehem, the residents said. Several Palestinian students suffered temporary asphyxiation from the Israeli tear gas and were treated on the spot, they added.
It remains unclear why Israeli forces raided the school, but the Israeli military usually accuses Palestinian students of throwing stones on settlers’ cars passing nearby. There was no comment from either the Israeli army or Palestinian authorities on the raid.
More than 650,000 Jewish settlers now live on 196 settlements (built with the Israeli government’s approval) and more than 200 settlers “outposts” (built without its approval) across the occupied West Bank, according to Palestinian figures.