Israel-Iran Conflict Leaves West Bank Residents as Victims
A bloody tragedy struck a beauty salon in Beit Awa, an occupied West Bank area in Palestine, on Wednesday (18/3) local time. Four Palestinian women were killed after a projectile exploded right in front of the door due to the exchange of fire between Israel and Iran.
Shards of acrylic nails and bottles of red and turquoise nail polish were scattered across the floor, now stained with dried blood. Metal fragments pierced the walls of the prefabricated building, leaving small holes and craters at the explosion site.
Hadeel Masalmeh, one of the salon owners, returned to the scene with bandages covering wounds on her face and body.
“I shouldn’t have left the hospital, but I wanted to say goodbye to Sahera,” she said, quoted from Wral News.
In addition to Sahera, the attack claimed the lives of Maes, Aseel, and Amal, who was six months pregnant. Amal’s three-year-old daughter was among the dozens of injured victims rushed to hospital.
The Palestinian Red Crescent reported that several victims had to undergo emergency surgeries, including amputations.
The incident underscores the inequality in civilian protection. While Israeli residents have access to underground shelters (bunkers) mandated since the First Gulf War, Palestinians in the West Bank lack similar facilities.
They are accustomed to carrying on with daily activities despite the wailing sirens or the echoes of interceptions booming in the sky.
“We heard the siren sound, but we didn’t pay much attention and didn’t expect any shrapnel or anything to fall on us,” Hadeel recalled.
The evacuation process was also hindered by physical obstacles on the ground. An ambulance journey that should have taken only 10 minutes stretched to 25 minutes due to a closed Israeli military gate near the Negohot settlement.
The Palestinian Red Crescent stated that the road closure forced ambulances to take a rugged alternative route, losing the crucial “Golden Hour” for saving lives.
To date, the origin of the projectile remains a matter of debate. The Israeli military claims it was a direct hit from an Iranian missile carrying cluster munitions.
In contrast, the Palestinian Authority’s Ministry of Interior describes it as interceptor shrapnel from Israel’s air defence system. Regardless of who is responsible, residents of Beit Awa feel caught in a conflict that is not theirs.
“We are between two fires,” remarked Mahmoud Sweity, one of the mourners.
The tragedy adds to the long list of suffering in the Hebron Hills region, which is also plagued by an economic crisis since Palestinian work permits were revoked and increased violence by illegal settlers.
UN data records at least 18 Palestinians have been killed by settlers and Israeli soldiers in the West Bank since the beginning of 2026.