JENIN: Israeli occupation forces have besieged a group of civilians, including children, inside the Qabatiya Municipality building to the south of Jenin in the occupied West Bank.

Ahmad Zakarneh, the head of the Qabatiya Municipality, reported that the Israeli siege began in the afternoon, preventing 32 individuals, including children and staff, from leaving the building for over eight hours.

He said a number of schoolchildren from the fifth and sixth grades had sought refuge in the municipality when the Israeli army started its aggression on the town, and remain trapped inside.

Zakarneh noted that the municipality had been informed about a coordinated exit at the same time as the evacuation of students from nearby schools. However, they were taken by surprise when Israeli forces stationed at the building’s entrance blocked their exit.

He emphasized that they have been surrounded for about eight hours and can hear heavy gunfire in the vicinity.

Additionally, Zakarneh confirmed that one employee of the mu
nicipality was shot and injured while standing at the entrance of the building. He expressed concern for the civilians, especially the children, who are feeling fear and exhaustion as time passes.

Source: Palestine News and Information Agency – WAFA