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Israel's separation wall pictured from Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem.(Charlie Hoyle/File)
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BETHLEHEM (Ma’an) – Israeli forces on Monday raided Aida refugee camp near the northern entrance of Bethlehem city, causing small clashes to break out in the camp, locals said.

Locals said one young man was shot with a rubber-coated steel bullet during the clashes, and a family of 18 suffered from severe tear gas inhalation when Israeli forces shot the gas “directly” at the family’s home.

Most of the 18 were children, the family said, and one of the members most severely affected was an 87-year-old man.

The family added that the home belongs to Khalil Baraqaa, who is currently serving time in Israeli prison.

An Israeli army spokesperson did not immediately respond for comment.

During the raid, Israeli forces set up a military outpost on the roof of the camp’s youth community center as well a building next to to it, the director of Lagee Center, Salah Ajarma, said.

Ajarma said Israeli forces position snipers on the roof of the center and raised an Israeli flag.

“The Israeli snipers on the roof [of the community center] means to us that Israeli forces have intentions to kill Palestinian children,” Ajarma said.

Ajarma added that Israeli forces positioning themselves on the community center threatens the safe space the center strives to maintain, and “will deprive Palestinian children from coming to the center to join in on daily activities or from playing in the center’s garden and playground, because being there means that they may be sitting ducks for Israeli snipers.”

Ajarma urged the international community and human rights organizations to condemn the actions of Israeli forces in the camp “which put the lives of innocent Palestinians children in real danger.”

On Oct. 29, Israeli forces issued a disturbing message through a loud speaker to residents of Aida camp during a night raid, telling residents that unless they stop throwing stones at the forces during clashes, “we will gas you until you die.”

“Inhabitants of Aida, we are the Israeli occupation forces," the message continued, "if you throw stones we will hit you with gas until you die. The children, the youth, and the old people, all of you – we won’t spare any of you.”

The message was caught on video by a resident of the camp.

Alongside the disconcerting language used to inspire terror among the residents -- the majority of whom were not involved in the stone throwing -- the film provided evidence of a member of the Israeli army admitting to the potentially lethal application of tear gas.