Israeli West Bank raids leave Palestinian boy and grandmother dead
Haniyeh Hanoun
Fayha Shalash and Mera Aladam report in Middle East Eye on 6 November 2025:
Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank resulted in the deaths of a Palestinian boy and an elderly woman in two separate assaults on Thursday. Troops stormed a house in al-Mazraa al-Gharbiya, northwest of Ramallah, assaulting a family.
During the raid, Haniyeh Hanoun, 78, died after being assaulted by Israeli troops. Her grandson, Muhammad, was arrested in the same operation.
Nasr Hanoun, Haniyeh’s son told Middle East Eye that dozens of Israeli soldiers stormed the house in the early morning hours on Thursday. As soon as the raid began, she became terrified. She was among those assaulted by the soldiers, which caused her to faint, Nasr explained, adding that Israeli troops prevented the family from taking her to hospital.
According to witnesses, the soldiers’ beatings were particularly targeted at Hanoun’s head and chest. “For about an hour, the soldiers remained in the house with my mother unconscious, refusing to allow her to be taken to hospital despite our pleas,” Nasr said.
He added that once the soldiers withdrew, he rushed to take her to hospital, but Israeli military vehicles blocked his way for about 40 minutes – even though the hospital is only a five-minute drive from their home.
“She was visibly exhausted and completely unconscious. She suffered from chronic illnesses and had recently undergone open-heart surgery. At the hospital, they pronounced her dead after resuscitation efforts failed,” he said.
Bassam al-Khatib, the mayor of al-Mazraa al-Gharbiya, described the raid on Hanoun’s home as “brutal,” saying that soldiers assaulted everyone inside, including women. He said Hanoun’s granddaughter sustained a broken arm during the attack.
“Her grandson’s arrest was carried out in front of her in a humiliating manner, and the violent scene had severe health consequences that led to her death,” al-Khatib added.