Palestinian children scrambled through the dusty streets of Burqa on Wednesday after Israeli forces stormed the village near Nablus in the occupied West Bank. A video shot by a local resident shows kids running past shuttered shops, their backpacks bouncing as they fled toward safer areas. The Israeli military confirmed the raid, saying troops targeted militants responsible for recent attacks against Israelis, including shootings and stone-throwing incidents that wounded soldiers and settlers nearby.

Witnesses described soldiers moving through Burqa before dawn, ordering students and teachers out of classrooms. One teacher, who asked to remain anonymous, said Israeli forces used megaphones to demand everyone leave the schools immediately. ‘We didn’t even have time to grab our bags,’ he told local media. The military said it conducted the operation to disrupt what it called ‘terrorist infrastructure’ in the area, adding that troops seized weapons and arrested several suspects during the raid.

Palestinian health ministry reports 12 killed in the raid

The Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah said 12 people died in the Israeli operation, including two children. The ministry blamed Israeli forces for the deaths, saying most of the victims were civilians caught in crossfire. Israeli military spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said troops faced ‘armed resistance’ during the raid and returned fire, adding that some of the dead were militants. He did not provide further details on the identities of the casualties.

Burqa, home to about 12,000 people, has seen frequent clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian armed groups in recent months. The village sits along a major road used by Israeli settlers traveling between Nablus and nearby settlements. Settlers have increasingly complained about attacks by Palestinians, while locals say raids like Wednesday’s disrupt daily life and fuel anger in the community.

Children describe terror as schools empty

A 12-year-old boy who was evacuated from his school told reporters he thought the soldiers were there to arrest his uncle. ‘They came in trucks and shouted orders,’ he said. ‘I ran home as fast as I could. I didn’t understand what was happening.’ His mother, a school administrator, said the raid left children traumatized. ‘They’re crying in the streets, asking when they can go back to class,’ she said. Israeli human rights group B’Tselem condemned the raid, calling it ‘another example of Israel’s brutal military policies in the West Bank.’

The raid comes amid rising tensions across the West Bank, where Israeli forces have conducted hundreds of operations this year targeting militants and Hamas-affiliated groups. Settler attacks on Palestinians have also surged, with the UN reporting a 50% increase in settler violence in 2024 compared to last year. The Israeli military says it’s responding to increased threats, but critics argue the raids often target civilians and fail to reduce violence long-term.

Residents in Burqa said Wednesday’s raid left the village in chaos. Roads were blocked, shops shut early, and families huddled in homes unsure of what would happen next. One elderly man, watching from his window, said he’s seen too many raids like this over the years. ‘We just want to live in peace,’ he said. ‘But every time soldiers come, we’re the ones who pay the price.’

The Israeli military has not indicated whether it plans further operations in Burqa or nearby areas. Local leaders called for international intervention to stop what they describe as Israel’s ‘collective punishment’ of Palestinian communities. The Palestinian Authority, which governs parts of the West Bank, condemned the raid and demanded Israel halt its military actions immediately.

What You Need to Know

  • Source: Al Jazeera
  • Published: May 17, 2026 at 12:58 UTC
  • Category: War
  • Topics: #conflict · #war · #aljazeera · #schoolchildren · #israeli · #west-bank-palestinian

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Curated by GlobalBR News · May 17, 2026

🇧🇷 Resumo em Português

Um grupo de crianças palestinas corre em pânico pelas ruas da aldeia de Burqa, no norte da Cisjordânia, após uma operação militar israelense que forçou o fechamento de escolas e a evacuação de alunos. O vídeo, amplamente compartilhado nas redes, mostra os pequenos correndo para escapar do cerco, enquanto soldados israelenses avançam com equipamentos pesados, alimentando um clima de tensão que ressuscita velhas feridas no já conturbado território ocupado.

A ação ocorreu durante uma incursão israelense na Cisjordânia, região que, desde 1967, permanece sob ocupação militar israelense, gerando conflitos recorrentes e violações de direitos humanos documentadas por organizações internacionais. Para o Brasil, que mantém relações diplomáticas equilibradas no Oriente Médio e abriga uma das maiores diásporas palestinas do mundo, o episódio reforça a urgência de uma solução pacífica para o conflito, enquanto a opinião pública brasileira tende a se solidarizar com a causa palestina. A situação também expõe a fragilidade de um processo de paz estagnado há décadas, com a comunidade internacional cada vez mais pressionada a agir diante de relatos de uso desproporcional da força contra civis, inclusive crianças, em territórios ocupados.

As autoridades palestinas já denunciaram o episódio como um crime de guerra, enquanto Israel justifica a operação como uma busca por “ativistas armados”. O próximo passo deve envolver investigações independentes para apurar os fatos, mas a escalada da violência sinaliza que, sem pressões concretas por negociações, o ciclo de mortes e sofrimento tende a se perpetuar.

🇪🇸 Resumen en Español

Tras un nuevo operativo militar israelí en Cisjordania, decenas de niños palestinos huyeron aterrorizados de sus escuelas en el pueblo de Burqa, según capturas difundidas hoy. La escena, que recuerda a los peores momentos de la ocupación, evidencia cómo la violencia cotidiana truncan el derecho básico a la educación en los territorios ocupados.

Este tipo de incursiones, cada vez más frecuentes, no solo paralizan la vida escolar de miles de menores, sino que profundizan el trauma generacional en una población ya de por sí asfixiada por la ocupación. Para los hispanohablantes, la imagen de esos niños corriendo entre escombros y soldados recuerda demasiado a conflictos olvidados en otras latitudes, subrayando la urgencia de una solución que ponga fin a este ciclo de violencia y restablezca, al menos, espacios mínimos de normalidad.