BAIT-UL-MOQADDAS A leading Palestinian human rights group denounced Monday the "barbaric" conduct of Israeli soldiers during a botched raid on an Arab village to capture a wanted Islamic activist, AFP reported.
The group Law said heavily-armed Israeli commandos "randomly opened fire" during Saturday's night-time assault in the northern West Bank town of Assira al-Shamaliya near Nablus.
The soldiers failed to capture their target, leading Hamas activist Mahmud Abu Hannud, who was later arrested by Palestinian police after he checked into a Nablus hospital with injuries suffered during the raid.
The army also wounded and arrested Hamas activist Nidal Daghlas and bulldozed his house.
Three Israeli soldiers were killed during the operation sparking a military investigation and strong rebukes from the local media.
In a statement to the press, Law described a night of terror for the some 10,000 residents of Assira al-Shamaliya as Israeli soldiers conducted house-by-house searches and cut off the town to ambulances called in to assist the wounded.
"Village residents, including women, children, and the elderly were gathered out in the open, forced to take off their clothes and body searched," said Law. "They were held until 4:00 a.m. at gunpoint." The rights group also criticized Israeli soldiers for denying medical assistance to Daghlas after they shot him.
"The soldiers forced one of the residents to approach the victim, take off his clothes, and pull him toward them, upon which Daghlas was immediately handcuffed," said Law.
"A military doctor was summoned to administer first aid. ...
The Israeli occupying forces interrogated Daghlas on the spot to obtain information on what he had seen. They beat him despite his serious injuries," the group added.
Palestinians plan on trying Abu Hannud once they have completed an investigation and his wounds have healed.