A soldier points his gun at a resident of Bil'in during tonight's raid on the village. Picture credit: Hamde Abu Rahmah

After only having left the village of Bil'in at around 4:30 AM this very morning, soldiers returned to raid houses this evening. They were once again searching for 30 year old Ashraf Khatib. Khatib was shot in the leg by a sniper using the banned 0.22" caliber live ammunition during the weekly demonstration in the village five weeks ago. The bullet penetrated his leg near the shin, causing a fracture, and exited, causing an additional exit wound. At the hospital, Khatib had to undergo an operation.

The army first arrived at around 8 PM, and headed to Khatib's home, knocking and pounding on the door. After a while, when no one opened the door, the soldiers simply forced open the door, and searched the house for Khatib not in the presence of any of the house's residents.

The soldiers then left the village only to invade it again and search the same house an hour later. During both raids tonight, when peacefully confronted by residents of the village, the soldiers reacted aggressively, shining their lights and pointing their guns at the villagers.

Earlier today, between the first pre-dawn raid and the second one, Khatib received a phone call from a man who presented himself as a Shin Bet officer and ordered Khatib to report to an investigation at the Shin Bet facility near the Ofer Military Prison. The man on the phone also threatened that until Khatib does report, he will be the subject of frequent raids on his house, making his and his family's lives unbearable.