Israeli troops raid orphan aid center

Dozens of Palestinians suffered from severe tear gas inhalation on Monday after Israeli troops raided an aid organization serving orphans in the southern occupied West Bank town of Beit Ummar, seizing equipment and assaulting staff.

Activist Muhammad Ayyad Awad told Ma’an that “Israeli troops seized files from the institution, three computer devices, and stormed the institution before they tied up the guard, Kareem Ikhalyel, in a room.”

He added that clashes broke out between Palestinian youth and Israeli troops during the raid, with Palestinians throwing stones and Israeli forces shooting tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets.

The head of the institution, Ahmad al-Omah, described the Israeli raid as “irresponsible.”

Defense for Children International (DCI), an NGO that monitors childrens' rights has documented that "psychological trauma" among Palestinian children "as a result of violence resulting from encounters with the Israeli military ... is profound and can be long-lasting."

The organization also found that since 2000, at least 8,000 Palestinian children have been arrested and prosecuted in Israel's military detention system.