Ammon News - Several Palestinians Wednesday evening suffocated as Israeli forces showered a house with teargas canisters in Abu Dis town, southeast of the occupied West Bank city of Jerusalem, according to an activist.

Ahmad Abu Hilal said that the occupation forces stormed the town and fired barrages of tear gas canisters towards the residents’ houses, setting a house on fire and causing several people inside to suffocate.

The soldiers prevented Palestinian ambulances from reaching the scene to evacuate the casualties.

Israeli occupation forces frequently raid Palestinian houses almost daily across the West Bank on the pretext of searching for "wanted" Palestinians, triggering clashes with residents.

These raids, which also take place in areas under the full control of the Palestinian Authority, are conducted with no need for a search warrant, whenever and wherever the military chooses in keeping with its sweeping arbitrary powers.

Under Israeli military law army commanders have full executive, legislative and judicial authority over 3 million Palestinians living in the West Bank. Palestinians have no say in how this authority is exercised.

WAFA