Israeli forces wound 21 Palestinians near Ofer Prison

RAMALLAH, Palestine

At least 21 Palestinians were wounded in clashes with the Israeli army near Ofer Prison west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) said Sunday.

The incident occurred as the army attempted to disperse hundreds of Palestinians who had gathered outside the prison awaiting the release of children as part of a hostage swap deal between the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel.

“Today, our crews dealt with 21 injuries in front of Ofer Military Prison, including seven injuries from live bullets, four injuries from rubber bullets and 10 injuries from tear gas, and a number of injuries were transferred to the hospital,” the PRCS said.

It said 63 children were evacuated from a club near the area due to tear gas bombs, noting that "some of the children were being treated on the ground."

A four-day humanitarian pause mediated by Qatar, Egypt and the US went into effect on Friday, temporarily halting Israel's attacks on the Gaza Strip.

During the first three days of the pause, Hamas released 40 Israelis and 18 foreigners while Israel released 117 Palestinians.

Israel launched a massive military campaign in the Gaza Strip following an Oct. 7 cross-border attack by Hamas.

It has since killed at least 14,854 Palestinians, including 6,150 children and more than 4,000 women, according to health authorities in the enclave. The official Israeli death toll stands at 1,200.