In May, Israeli forces conducted a three-hour raid on Askar Camp near Nablus amid an ongoing military campaign in the northern West Bank, intensifying risks for journalists and locals as tear gas and gunfire caused widespread panic and injuries.

by Xinhua writers Huang Zemin, Feng Guorui

NABLUS, May 28 (Xinhua) -- "Israeli forces are coming."

The call came one morning in May -- urgent and unmistakable. The target: Askar Camp, on the outskirts of Nablus, a city in the northern West Bank. We didn't hesitate. Within ten minutes, we were in the car, heading straight there.

It was a trip into the unknown from the start, with a high level of uncertainty hanging over everything. As one might expect, Israeli military plans are rarely shared with Palestinian journalists, who rely on group chats and social media for real-time updates. On the ground, Israeli forces sometimes seal off all entrances -- or, by the time the press arrives, the operation may already be over.

That morning, Israeli military vehicles were seen blocking one lane along the edge of Askar Camp, apparently to divert traffic and create a barrier for the press. Journalists had to wait outside, largely in the dark about what was unfolding inside. Several times, Israeli vehicles approached the group of reporters -- seemingly trying to drive us away, some said.

It was already a high-risk zone, even if it didn't look like one yet -- clashes could erupt at any moment. Young Palestinian men sometimes hurled stones at Israeli vehicles and burned tires in protest, prompting Israeli forces to escalate their response. If that happened, chaos would follow, and danger would lurk around every corner. How each clash would end was anyone's guess.

Extra caution and proper gear were essential for reporting. We had to carefully assess the situation on-site. Bulletproof vests, helmets, and gas masks were standard. A professional camera helped signal that the person behind it was a journalist -- a crucial visual cue to avoid being mistaken by either warring side.

Near Askar Camp that May morning, local photojournalist Majdi Mohammed told us that reporting in the West Bank had become increasingly difficult, especially since the Palestinian-Israeli conflict reignited in October 2023. Despite wearing a bulletproof vest labeled "PRESS," he said he had been injured several times by gunfire and tear gas.

Since October 2023, as the Gaza Strip has come under massive attacks, the conflict between the Palestinian and Israeli sides in the West Bank has also intensified sharply.

In January this year, the Israeli army launched a large-scale military operation in the northern West Bank, and it is still ongoing. Some refugee camps there remain largely empty, and about 40,000 Palestinians have been displaced because of the operation, according to UN estimates.

Though Jenin and Tulkarm governorates have taken the brunt, Nablus is severely affected as well. Since the Israeli forces launched their ongoing operation in the northern West Bank on January 21, 1,058 Palestinians across the territory have been injured, with the Nablus governorate accounting for over a third of these injuries, a UN report said on May 7.

Near Askar Camp on that morning in May, Palestine Red Crescent Society ambulances were seen standing by, in case of any injuries. Medical workers exiting the camp told reporters that Israeli forces were marking some houses, the purpose unknown.

Over time, journalists walked along the edge of the refugee camp and shot video near the entrance. Tensions suddenly rose as Israeli forces got off a vehicle with guns, and people fled in all directions. Reporters saw several members of Israeli forces with guns rush into the camp through different entrances.

During the final hour of the Israeli operation, a rapid series of loud bangs, possibly gunfire, were heard at the scene. Israeli forces threw tear gas in various locations along the road that bordered the camp. Smoke swept through the area in an instant. Many locals covered their mouths and noses and quickly ducked into cars or buildings. Some began to cough violently.

The Israeli operation lasted about three hours. The army did not release an immediate statement about it. Israeli police said that they arrested a wanted man near Nablus on that day, but did not specify the exact location.

Dozens of people suffered from suffocation from tear gas fired by the Israeli forces during their raid on Askar Camp on that day, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported.