An 80-year-old Palestinian woman was shot six times by Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) during a raid in the Balata camp in Nablus last week, her son said. Halima Abu Leil was out to buy groceries, her son said, adding the elderly woman “fell to her knees,” after being shot in the leg and chest on December 19, Sky News reported.
The IDF said they were aware of reports that “uninvolved civilians present in the area were harmed” during the raid, which targeted a suspected terrorist in the camp. The military said the operation involved exchanges of gunfire with militants who reportedly opened fire and threw explosives at IDF soldiers. But no Israeli casualties were reported.
Halima's son, who preferred to remain anonymous for safety reasons, expressed outrage over the shooting, saying his mother's frailty and health issues should have made her a non-threat to the soldiers. “My mum was elderly and had cancer, diabetes and high blood pressure. They could see she was an old woman – why would they fire at her?” he asked.
Halima's daughter also shared her grief, recalling her mother was shot after being struck in her legs, which caused her to kneel before she was fatally shot in the chest. She has herself experienced the pain of loss before, as both of her sons are no longer with her – one was killed last year, and the other incarcerated.
“What law is this? Children and pregnant women are killed. Our sons leave the house and don't come back. They can see she's an elderly lady but they shot her six times – in her legs, in her chest. When she was first shot in her legs, she knelt on the ground,” Halima's daughter told Sky News.
Tensions remain high in the camp following the incident. The streets are still littered with mounds of dirt and shattered glass. Many locals, including those in the mosque where Halima's son prayed the following day, remain fearful of further military action, with one man stating, “These are just young men with guns – meagre protection in the face of Israeli military hardware. What's an M16 to a tank?”
The IDF said the raid was part of a broader counterterrorism operation in the area. “Early on Thursday, the IDF conducted a counterterrorism activity to apprehend an individual suspected of terror activity in the area of Balata in Nablus. During the activity, the IDF soldiers engaged in exchanges of fire with terrorists who opened fire and hurled explosives toward IDF soldiers. Hits were identified. In addition, IDF soldiers encircled a structure in which terrorists barricaded themselves. No IDF injuries were reported,” the IDF statement read.
For Halima's family and others in the camp, her death was just one more in a long series of personal losses. “Every single Palestinian is targeted, no one is exempt. Not children, not the elderly, no one,” said Halima's son, echoing the sentiment of many who feel oppressed.
