IOF Invades Deir El Balah, Demolishes Houses

IOF Invades Deir El Balah, Demolishes Houses and Arrests Citizens in West Bank

DEIR EL BALAH, Palestine -- The Israeli occupying forces (IOF) launched a large-scale campaign on the city of Deir El Balah, central Gaza Strip, in which four houses were demolished and several others were occupied and turned to military barracks.

Security sources mentioned that the Israeli forces, backed by 12 military vehicles and armored bulldozers, invaded the city of Deir El Balah and demolished a number of houses there, while Israeli soldiers raided some houses, occupied them and turned them into military barracks.

Locals said the demolished houses belonged to Khalil Al Sawarka, Tha'er Al Atrash and Bassam Shahin, to the east of the city. Shahin was arrested by the IOF after his home was demolished and he was led to an undisclosed location.

The fourth home, a two-storey building, is owned by Khalil Tobail, and was partially destroyed last Tuesday, before being completely flattened by the Israeli bulldozers early this morning.

Also, eyewitnesses confirmed that the invading troops raided a number of homes in the Abu Ureif Street east of the town, occupied and turned them into military barracks, amidst heavy and random gunfire.

The witnesses added that a number of snipers took up sniping positions on some of the houses' rooftops, firing at any moving object in the area. The Israeli forces declared, through loudspeakers, that they would open fire at any person who tried to move from one side to another.

In addition, security sources in the West Bank city of Jenin confirmed that the Israeli occupying forces arrested a woman from the village of Arraba, south of Jenin, in addition to two citizens from the city of Hebron. No further details were given.

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