02 Sep 2020; MEMO: Israel’s military police launched an investigation into soldiers who placed explosives inside the West Bank Palestinian village of Qaddum last month, reported Haaretz. The investigation follows a report last week, by the Israeli newspaper, that occupation soldiers of the Zionist state had planted at least three explosive devices along a road in the Palestinian village that runs near a residential area.
The Nahal Brigade soldiers reportedly entered Qaddum shortly before midnight nearly two weeks ago to plant the explosive devices, which were armed and ready to explode when touched. The explosives were hidden with stones, cloth, and weapons crates.
A seven-year-old boy walking in the village with his family spotted the explosive device which was covered with an orange box. The device exploded when it was shaken by a resident, Waseem Shtaiwi, a relative of the seven-year-old boy, who ran to the family’s aid.
A local paramedic said the wounds were caused by shrapnel. The box that exploded is believed to be the type the military uses to store stun grenades.
This morning, Haaretz reported that the army had confirmed it had opened an investigation on Monday, adding that the findings will be sent to the military advocate general for review.
Since 2011, Qaddum residents have held weekly demonstrations against the closure of the village’s main access road, which leads to Nablus. It was closed due to an expansion of the nearby settlement of Kedumim.
Qaddum is the only West Bank village still holding weekly protests against the occupation. In June, a UN report found that Israel had wounded 25 Palestinians, including nine children, from the village. They were protesting against restriction of access and settlement expansion. In the same month occupation forces also injured three Palestinian photo-journalists.
