Eight-hour Israeli raid leaves several wounded in Jericho

May 25 2023

Israeli troops stormed over 50 homes in the Aqabat Jabr refugee camp

ByNews Desk

(Photo credit: Quds News Network)

Israeli troops launched a massive, several hour raid into the Aqabat Jabr refugee camp in the occupied West Bank city of Jericho, beginning on the evening of Wednesday 24 May and lasting all the way up until the early morning hours of Thursday.

At least 13 Palestinians were injured with live ammunition by Israeli forces, while at least 14 were detained.

“A large force of the occupation army stormed the camp from several directions and deployed on the rooftops of the houses in the camp, and raided more than 50 homes, including the homes of the governor of Jericho and the Jordan Valley, Jihad Abu al-Assal, and his sons,” local sources told WAFA news agency.

“The occupation forces fired bullets and gas bombs at Palestinian youths as well as houses, resulting in the injuring of 13 young men with live bullets in the lower body parts,” the sources added, with the director of the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) in Jericho, Eid Brahma, confirming the arrest of at least 14.

One of the injured Palestinians is reported to be in serious condition, according to WAFA.

The Israeli forces “surrounded the house of a citizen and fired missiles” at it, the news agency adds. Entrances to the camp were blocked by troops, and ambulances were prevented from reaching the injured.

The troops were confronted with heavy gunfire from Palestinian resistance fighters in the camp. The clashes were ongoing for over two hours.

At around dawn, the Israeli troops began to withdraw from the camp after several hours.

This raid comes as Israel has been waging a brutal war against the resistance in the occupied West Bank, launching almost daily raids into different cities and detaining scores of Palestinians.

These indiscriminate raids target resistance fighters, but civilians and unarmed residents of refugee camps are very frequently killed or injured.

The resistance in the occupied West Bank, particularly in Nablus and Jenin, has grown in an unprecedented manner, and constantly launches operations against settlers, soldiers, and army checkpoints.

As a result, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is continuously pushing to expand this already brutal raid policy into a wide-scale military operation in the West Bank.

Israeli Oppression in Palestine Proceeds as Resistance Affirms Readiness

 May 24, 2023

Israeli occupation forces during a raid in the West Bank (photo from December 2022).

Early Wednesday morning, Israeli occupation forces initiated a widespread campaign of arrests in various areas throughout the occupied West Bank. The campaign, which included confrontations, clashes, and arrests, targeted multiple towns and neighborhoods.

In the town of Jaba, south of Jenin, the occupation forces arrested brothers, Karam and Hakim Al-Hodhod, after storming their family home. In the same area, they also arrested Ahmed Abu Aziz and his father, Muhammad Abu Aziz. Clashes between resistance fighters and the occupation forces occurred during the raid

Further arrests were made in occupied Al-Quds, where Adam Ghaith, Saleh al-Hadra, Aysar Abu Sbeitan from Al-Tur, and Ayham al-Salaymeh from Ras al-Amud were arrested after having their homes raided and ransacked.

In Ramallah, young men clashed with the occupation forces in the Jalazoun refugee camp

In Nablus, the occupation forces arrested Khalil Abu Ghadeeb and Bahaa Al-Tayyan from their homes while resistance fighters fired on the occupation forces during their withdrawal from the Al-Maajin neighborhood.

Palestinian sources reported that warning sirens sounded in Nour Shams camp in Tulkarem, indicating an impending occupation force raid.

Additionally, occupation forces stormed Za’tara, where they tampered with the contents of homes belonging to citizens, Raafat Nayef Al-Wahsh, Youssef Al-Bo, and Fadi Battah, before withdrawing without making any arrests.

Palestinian resistance pledges to continue with response

The Palestinian resistance movement in the Gaza Strip confirmed that the resistance will continue until the expulsion of the occupation and the liberation of Palestine and its return to its Arab and Islamic embrace.

The movement also stressed, in a statement, the need for the unity of our people on the program of resistance and adherence to rights and constants. The unity of our people on the choice of resistance is a prerequisite for achieving victory.

IOF Demolish Land in occupied Jerusalem

Palestinian-owned land was leveled and a wall was demolished in the town of Sur Baher, belonging to the Amira family, by the Israeli Occupation Forces. They also detained four young men from the same area of occupied Jerusalem.

IOF Damages Commercial Shop Contents

The contents of a commercial shop in the al-Jalazone refugee camp in Ramallah were damaged by the Israeli Occupation Forces, and money was stolen.

Nakahle: Martyred Commanders Immediately Replaced
Earlier on Tuesday, the Secretary-General of Islamic Jihad, Ziad Nakhale, confirmed the group’s readiness to confront Israeli attacks. He revealed that the group’s commanders who were martyred during the Israeli aggression on Gaza earlier this month have already been replaced.

Nakhale maintained that the group holds rockets that can reach any area of occupied Palestine and that rockets fired at occupied territories during “Operation Revenge of the Free” were homemade and manufactured by the group’s military wing, Al-Quds Brigades. Six Al-Quds Brigades commanders were assassinated during the Israeli aggression on Gaza.

Source: Palestinian and Israeli media (translated and edited by Al-Manar English Website)

Related Articles

Gaza Aggression in Day 5: Palestinian Rockets Rain down in ‘Israel’ as Strikes Continue

May 13, 2023

Palestinian media reported two houses being hit by Israeli strikes in central Gaza, with Israeli occupation claiming they were sites belonging to Islamic Jihad resistance movement.

“Fighter jets and drones carried out a series of strikes against Palestinian Islamic Jihad sites in the Gaza Strip over the last few hours,” the occupation army said in a statement.

“No Agreement on Temporary Ceasefire”

On the other hand, spokesperson for the Palestinian Islamic Jihad resistance group said no agreement has been reached on a temporary ceasefire.

“We have not reached an agreement regarding a temporary ceasefire [mediated by] Egypt, the talks are continuing,” the spokesman tells the Al-Araby news network, according to the Ynet news site.

“Israel wants quiet in exchange for quiet, without committing to an end to the targeted killings,” the spokesman added.

2 Martyrs in West Bank’s Nablus

Elsewhere in the West Bank, two Palestinians were martyred and many others were injured in a brutal Israeli raid on Balata refugee camp in Nablus city.

Palestinian Red Crescent medical service said two Palestinians were martyred during clashes with Israeli occupation forces (IOF), adding that its medics were denied access by the IOF.

In clips published by Palestinian media, gunfire can be heard across the camp.

Islamic Jihad Commander Martyred

Earlier on Friday, Al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad, pronounced martyrdom of one of its senior commanders, Iyad Al-Hasani (Abu Anas), who was targeted by an Israeli strike.

Hasani Islamic Jihad
Iyad Al-Hasani (Abu Anas), senior Islamic Jihad commander who was assassinated by Israeli occupation (May 12, 2023).

Al-Hasani was said to be the head of Al-Quds Brigades operations. Reports suggested that he was responsible for coordenation between Al-Quds Brigades and Al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas resistance movement.

Al-Hasani is the sixth Islamic Jihad commander martyred since the start of  the ongoing Israeli aggression on Gaza on Tuesday (May 9).

Source: Palestinian and Israeli media (translated and edited by Al-Manar English Website)

Related Videos

Special Coverage | Al-Quds Brigades announces its readiness for months of confrontation
Special Coverage | Al-Quds Brigades threatens the Israeli occupation to renew the bombing of the occupied cities
Special Coverage | The great Palestinian response to the ongoing Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip
An Israeli demonstration in front of the headquarters of the Ministry of Security in Tel Aviv, to demand an end to the Israeli military operation in Gaza

Related Articles

Israeli Occupation Kills 4 Palestinians in Nablus and Huwara

 May 4, 2023

Illustrative photo prepared by Al-Manar English Website showing the scene where Palestinian woman was killed by IOF in Huwara as well as the Palestinian house which was beseiged by occupation forces in Nablus (Thursday, May 4, 2023).

Israeli occupation forces killed four Palestinians on Thursday in the West Bank, Palestinian and Israeli media reported.

Occupation forces killed a Palestinian woman in the West Bank town of Huwara over alleged stabbing attack.

Palestinian media identified the Palestinian woman as Iman Ahmad Awdeh, 26, saying she was shot in the chest by occupation forces.

Israeli media confirmed the death, claiming that an Israeli man was lightly hurt in the alleed stabbing attack.

Earlier on Thursday, three Palestinians were martyred by Israeli occupation forces during a military raid in the Old City of Nablus in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Ministry of Health confirmed the deaths and said that the extent of the injuries made it hard to identify two of the victims.

Reports suggest that Israeli occupation forces raided the Al-Yasmina neighbourhood overnight; during this time, confrontations erupted between Palestinian Resistance fighters and Israeli occupation forces. IOF used shoulder-fired guided missiles to target a Palestinian house, leading to loud explosions.

Members of the occupation police elite Yamam unit surrounded the home where the Palestinian fighters were believed to be in. The occupation forces fired a shoulder-launched missile at it, according to Palestinian media, in a tactic known as a “pressure cooker.”

Some reports also said a miniature drone flew into the building. A senior Israeli occupation officer confirmed that drones were used during the raid, noting they have been used in practically every recent similar operation in the West Bank, The Times of Israel reported.

Source: Palestinian Agencies

Coverage| Israeli Occupation Kills Palestinian in West Bank Raid, Arrests Jordanian MP

 April 24, 2023

Israeli occupation forces killed a Palestinian young man and injured several others in a brutal raid on Aqabat Jabr refugee camp near Jericho on Monday, hours after occupation authorities arrested a Jordanian member of parliament over alleged “smuggling of arms and gold” into the occupied West Bank.

Palestinian media initially said that four Palestinians were injured after Israeli occupation forces raided Aqabat Jabr camp, prompting clashes with residents.

Other raids were also reported by Palestinian media in Nablus and Jenin, where a number of Palestinians were arrested by IOF.

Earlier on Sunday, Israeli occupation authorities held and interrogated Imad al-Adwan, a member of Jordan’s parliament who had crossed a main border crossing along the Jordan River by car, Sinan Majali, a Jordanian foreign ministry spokesperson, said in a statement to state media.

“Israel” detains Jordanian MP

“The ministry and all relevant agencies in the kingdom are working to ascertain the details of this issue and address it as quickly as possible,” Majali said.

Al-Adwan had been arrested “for interrogation in a case concerning alleged smuggling of quantities of weapons and gold”, he said.

Al-Adwan, 35, is a member of the Jordanian parliament’s Palestine Committee.

Israeli media reported that he was arrested at the King Hussein Bridge (Allenby) border crossing in the occupied West Bank. There has been no official comment from Israeli occupation authorities on al-Adwan’s arrest.

Source: Palestinian and Israeli media (translated and edited by Al-Manar English Website)

Related

Visiting Huwwara: The Palestinian Town Torched by Illegal Israeli Settlers

April 3, 2023

On February 26, hundreds of Jewish settlers poured into the town of Huwwara torched Palestinian property. (Photo: via ActiveStill.com)

By Fayha Shalash

Huwwara is a Palestinian town located south of the city of Nablus. It has a strategic location being the link between the cities of the northern and central occupied West Bank.

The main street of the town remains active around the clock and is rarely empty. Shops are spread on both sides of it, providing a living for the residents of the town and the neighboring villages.

The town, however, faces serious problems.

Israeli Occupation Forces Attack International Activists in Huwwara (VIDEO)

Jewish settlers usually pass through the main street of Huwwara to reach the illegal settlements established on Palestinian lands. In their passage, they usually attack Palestinian residents, often while protected by Israeli soldiers.

Due to the constant presence of Israeli occupation forces, the residents of Huwwara are constantly on edge.  

Israeli occupation forces attacked on Friday international activists demonstrating in the town of Huwwara, south of Nablus,  in the aftermath of last week’s violent rampage by illegal Jewish settlers, the official news agency WAFA reported. … Continue readingIsraeli Occupation Forces Attack International Activists in Huwwara (VIDEO)
Palestine Chronicle

A Bloody Night

On February 26, hundreds of Jewish settlers poured into the town of Huwwara and started torching Palestinian houses, shops, and vehicles. It was a horrific scene. 

The brutal attack came hours after two illegal settlers had been killed by Palestinian fighters while they were passing through the main street. 

The truth, however, is that settler attacks have been taking place routinely and for years, without any apparent reason.

Abdullah Odeh, a resident of the town, was at home with his family when the settlers began to gather around his neighbor’s shop.

“We heard voices and shouts in Hebrew, so we quickly closed the windows, fearing that they (the settlers) would attack our house, but their target was my neighbor’s shop,” Odeh told The Palestine Chronicle. 

International Outcry as Jewish Settlers Brutally Assault Palestinians in Huwwara

Jewish settlers attacked the Palestinian village of Huwwara, in the Occupied West Bank, on Sunday night, killing a man and injuring over 100 Palestinians. The incident was followed by international outcry and condemnation. UK Ambassador: … Continue readingInternational Outcry as Jewish Settlers Brutally Assault Palestinians in Huwwara
Palestine Chronicle

“They began to break down the shop’s door and set it on fire until it turned completely black… We tried to put out the fire, but it was huge and there was no point in trying,” Odeh added.

As Odeh made his way home, the Israeli soldiers began throwing gas bombs at the Palestinian residents of the town, leading to cases of suffocation among his family members. 

On that same night, dozens of attacks were recorded in Huwwara, which led to the killing of Palestinian and injuring over one hundred others. 

To make matters worse, the Israeli soldiers prevented ambulances from reaching the wounded.

Open Wound

The residents of Huwwara live in constant distress and fear as a result of the continuous attacks by Jewish settlers and the closure of the surrounding Israeli military checkpoints. 

Many Palestinians can only leave the town using alternative dirt roads. Some internal roads are blocked as well, making it very difficult for the residents who work outside of Huwwara.

Israeli occupation forces regularly issue closure orders against Palestinian shops in Huwwara under the pretext of ‘security’. They claim that these measures are necessary to protect the illegal Jewish settlers, even though, in actuality, they are the ones who regularly attack Palestinian properties. 

US Condemns Israeli Minister’s ‘Disgusting’ Call to ‘Wipe Out’ Huwwara

The United States condemned on Wednesday the comments made by far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who called for the Palestinian town of Huwwara to be “wiped out”, slamming the remarks as “repugnant, irresponsible and … Continue readingUS Condemns Israeli Minister’s ‘Disgusting’ Call to ‘Wipe Out’ Huwwara
Palestine Chronicle

Samer Awad owns a bookstore on the main street of Huwwara. Like dozens of shop owners, he suffered heavy losses as a result of the closures.

“We had to close our shop for more than two weeks. The (Israeli) soldiers do not just issue the order, they also break the doors and windows until the shop is closed in front of them,” Awad told The Palestine Chronicle.

Awad’s small store also provides customer services to obtain travel documents and visas. Since embassies and consulates set appointments on very specific dates, during the closure, Samer was forced to complete the transactions from home, “smuggling” the necessary paperwork from his own shop to avoid unnecessary delays.

However, the most affected businesses were the restaurants and the sweets shops for which Huwwara is famous. Due to the prolonged closure, the owners were forced to throw away their expired goods. This resulted in losses estimated at tens of thousands of dollars.

Israeli Authorities Release Huwwara Rampage Perpetrators

Israeli occupation authorities released on Thursday most of the illegal Jewish settlers who had been arrested following the rampage in the Palestinian town of Huwwara, south of Nablus, the official news agency WAFA reported. Israeli … Continue readingIsraeli Authorities Release Huwwara Rampage Perpetrators
Palestine Chronicle

Aman Ali has owned a restaurant on the town’s main street for ten years. He tells us that this Ramadan in Huwwara was “dead”, due to Israeli military closures. 

“I have incurred huge losses since the beginning of March, due to the closure and to the fact that we were forced to throw our food away,” Ali added.

The people of Huwwara describe themselves as prisoners in their own town, not knowing when the next closure will be imposed on them or when the settlers will attack again. 

Nevertheless, they try to live day by day, hoping that, one day, the Israeli occupation will end.

– Fayha’ Shalash is a Ramallah-based Palestinian journalist. She graduated from Birzeit University in 2008 and she has been working as a reporter and broadcaster ever since. Her articles appeared in several online publications. She contributed this article to The Palestine Chronicle.

LATEST POSTS

Brutal Israeli Raid Kills 2 Palestinians in Nablus, IOF Attacks Worshippers in Al-Aqsa

 April 3, 2023

Israeli occupation forces raided Nablus and killed two Palestinians (Monday, April 3, 2023).

Israeli aggression against Palestinian people is on the rise as occupation forces brutally raid and kill two Palestinians in Nablus, few hours after IOF attacked female worshipers at Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Clashes erupted in Nablus early on Monday after Israeli occupation forces raided the northern West Bank city, Palestinian media reported.

Palestinian resistance fighters rushed to defend Nablus against IOF who entered the city from several directions.

Mohammad Abu Bakr and Mohammad Al-Hallaq were shot dead by Israeli gunfire, with at least one of them was shot by an Israeli sniper, Al-Quds News Network quoted medical sources as saying.

Funeral of the two martyrs was then held in the city, as a general strike was in protest against the continous Israeli aggression.

Palestinian martyrs Nablus
Martyrs Mohammad Al-Hallaq (L) and Mohammad ABu Bakr (R).

Commenting on the raid, Hamas Spokesman Abdul Latif Al-Qanoua called for escalating all forms of resistance against Israeli occupation, vowing that Israeli oppression won’t undermine the Palestinian spirit of resistance.

Meanwhile on Monday, Israeli attacks against Palestinian worshipers in Al-Aqsa Mosque proceeded.

Dozens of Zionist settlers broke into the holy compound, backed by occupation forces, amid calls for slaughtering animal sacrifices inside Al-Aqsa, a move considered as highly provocative to Palestinian Muslims.

Earlier on Sunday night, IOF attacked Palestinian women from the Al-Qibali prayer hall in Al-Aqsa Mosque. Occupation forces stormed Al-Qibali prayer hall and forced Palestinian wome to leave the holy compound.

Source: Palestinian media (Translated and edited by Al-Manar English Website)

Two Palestinians martyred in Nablus during IOF raid

By Al Mayadeen English 

Source: Agencies + Al Mayadeen Net

Resistance fighters defend Nablus as the Israeli Occupation Forces raid the city attempting to detain Palestinian youth.

Palestinians mourn Muhammad Hallak in the West Bank city of Nablus, Monday, April 3, 2023, who was martyred during the IOF raid (AP).

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) stormed the West Bank city of Nablus and the Askar refugee camp earlier on Monday with dozens of armored vehicles and special forces. Confrontations erupted when Palestinians attempted to defend their city from the IOF incursion

Two Palestinians were martyred by live IOF fire, Muhammad Al-Hallak and Muhammad Abu Bakr Junaidi, as a result of the confrontations, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health. Local media also reported that the IOF raided Nablus Speciality Hospital with teargas, leaving tens of people suffering from breathing complications.

Moreover, the raid, according to Israeli media, initially sought to detain two Palestinians, Izz al-Din Touqan and Nidal Tabanga, who were accused, allegedly, of being involved in the act of Resistance that took place last week against the Huwara checkpoint. The IOF besieged and raided their homes leaving behind a trail of violence.

Hamas mourns and warns

The Hamas movement proclaimed during the funeral processions of the two Monday morning martyrs, that “there is no way to confront the occupying Israeli regime other than resistance and an increase in retaliatory measures.” 

Moreover, the Resistance movement noted that the martyrdom of Al-Hallak and Abu Bakr brings “the number of Palestinians martyred since the start of the year to 95,” which Hamas considered an obvious indication of “the rise in the criminal policy of the Israeli enemy and its widespread exercise of murder and assassination.”

To conclude, Hamas reaffirmed its commitment to “respond to the crime,” and explained that the Resistance is “fully prepared to defend our nation as well as the holy Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the face of the incessant aggression of Israeli forces and terrorist settler groups.”

Palestinian martyred at the entrance of Al-Aqsa

It is also worth noting that on April 1, Al Mayadeen‘s correspondent in occupied Al-Quds reported that the IOF opened fire on a Palestinian near Bab Al-Silsila in Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Our correspondent cited witnesses as saying that Mohammad Al-Osaibi, 26, was martyred by Israeli forces.

At the time of the attack, the IOF closed the doors of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Old City in Al-Quds and assaulted Palestinian worshippers as they were leaving the Mosque through Bab Al-Qataneen.

As a result of his martyrdom, the Higher Follow-up Committee in the occupied Palestinian territories in 1948 announced a general strike to be held on Sunday to condemn the cold-blooded execution of Al-Osaibi.

In support of the general strike, people in Haifa demonstrated. The IOF then attacked the protestors for raising the Palestinian flags and arrested four Palestinians.

Read more: Palestinians defend presence in Al-Aqsa as IOF attempts to expel them

Related Stories

Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Palestinian (Weekly Update 23-29 March 2023)

March 30, 2023

Violation of right to life and bodily integrity:

Two Palestinians were killed and 7 others, including 3 children, were injured, while dozens of others suffocated in Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)’s attacks in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:

On 23 March 2023, Ameer ‘Emad Abu Khadijah (25), a member of Palestinian armed groups, was killed by IOF’s fire after the latter cordoned off a house, where Abu Khadijah was fortified. According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), IOF moved into Izbat Shufa village, southeast of Tulkarm, and cordoned off a house, where Abu Khadijah was fortified. An exchange of fire occurred before IOF raided the house and fired a projectile at it. About half an hour later, IOF withdrew after arresting the house’s owner. Following IOF’s withdrawal, villagers found Abu Khadijah’s body covered in blood inside one of the house’s rooms, as he was shot with several live bullets in his head and lower limbs. Also, there were traces of bullets that were heavily fired at the room’s walls.

On 28 March 2023, medical sources at An-Najah Hospital in Nablus declared the death of ‘Ameer Mohammed Lolah (28), a member of Palestinian armed groups, after he succumbed to an abdomen injury caused by a live bullet fired by IOF during clashes on 22 February 2023 while IOF were surrounding a house in Nablus’s Old City. At the time, those clashes resulted in the killing of 11 Palestinians, including 4 civilians, and the injury of tens of others, including 9 seriously injured.

Meanwhile, those injured were victims of excessive use of force that accompanied IOF’s incursions into the Palestinian cities and villages, or IOF’s suppression of peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians, and they were as follows:

On 23 March 2023, a child, who was near his school, was shot with a rubber-coated bullet in his foot by IOF after their incursion into al-Ram village in occupied East Jerusalem. Before their withdrawal, IOF arrested two Palestinians from their houses.

On 25 March 2023, a Palestinian sustained minor wounds and tens of others suffocated in clashes with IOF during their incursion into al-Khader village in Bethlehem.

On 27 March 2023, IOF arrested a child after being shot with a rubber-coated bullet in his foot during clashes that accompanied IOF’s incursion into al-Khader village in Bethlehem.

On the same day in the afternoon, 4 Palestinians were injured, including a child whose leg was amputated, by IOF’s fire during the latter’s incursion into ‘Aqabat Jaber camp in Jericho. Before their withdrawal, IOF arrested a Palestinian whose two of his sons were previously shot dead by IOF on 06 February 2023.

This week witnessed recurrent clashes with IOF in occupied East Jerusalem and Bethlehem’s neighborhoods, where IOF fired teargas canisters, causing suffocations among tens of Palestinians.

In the Gaza Strip, 3 IOF shootings were reported on agricultural lands in eastern Gaza Strip, and 2 shootings were reported on fishing boats off the Western Gaza shores.

So far in 2023, IOF attacks killed 89 Palestinians, including 45 civilians; 15 of them were children and a woman, and the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups, including 2 children, as well as 6 killed by settlers, and one died in Israeli prisons. Meanwhile, 398 Palestinians, including 54 children, 2 women and 10 journalists, were injured.

Land razing, demolitions, and notices

IOF demolished a commercial facility and notified to demolish a house, a facility, a mosque, and 7 graves. They also confiscated a garbage truck in the West Bank. Details are as follows:

On 24 March 2023, IOF confiscated Biddya municipality’s garbage truck during their incursion into Qarawat Bani Hassan village, west of Salfit. This was the 3rd garbage truck to be confiscated by IOF within a month in Salfit, under the pretext of working in Area C.

On the same day, IOF hanged two demolition orders on a 160-sqm concrete house, which is supposed to be resided by a family of 12, including 3 children, and on a 200-sqm agricultural facility built of isolated tinplate and used for breeding livestock in Al-Burj village in Hebron.

Also, upon military order No. (1797), IOF notified to demolish 7 graves in Abu al-Tuq Cemetery in Al-Burj village. Those graves are located in a 140 -dunum land belonging to the Islamic Endowment (Awqaf) Department: 35 dunums remained under the Islamic Endowment’s control while the rest were seized due to the construction of the annexation wall.  

On 27 March 2023, IOF notified to demolish Belal Ibn Rabah Mosque built on an area of 150 square meters in Khashem al-Daraj village in Hebron, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.

On 28 March 2023, IOF demolished a 350-sqm commercial facility in Dayr Balut village, west of Salfit, under the pretext of being near the annexation wall.  During the demolition, IOF fired teargas canisters at the villagers to prevent them from confronting the demolition. As a result, many villagers suffocated.

Since the beginning of 2023, IOF made 64 families homeless, a total of 406 persons, including 81 women and 183 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 66 houses; 16 were forcibly self-demolished by their owners and 6 were demolished on grounds of collective punishment. IOF also demolished 56 other civilian objects, razed other property, and delivered dozens of notices of demolition and cease-construction in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Settler-attacks and retaliatory acts:

Settlers carried out 5 attacks against Palestinians and their property in the West Bank, most notably setting a house and 2 vehicles ablaze and attacking 2 Palestinians. Details are as follows:

On 24 March 2023, Israeli settlers brought their sheep to graze the agricultural crops surrounding al-Zowaiden village in southern Hebron. As a result, part of the crops was damaged. Meanwhile, a number of villagers arrived and tried to confront the settlers and force them out of their lands. Afterwards, a large force of IOF and police arrived at the area and forced the villagers to leave after detaining 3 of them and releasing them later. It is worth noting that Israeli authorities declared the lands surrounding Zowaiden village as a military Firing Zone under the so-called “Training Area 917”, while an Israeli settler established a settlement outpost near the village.

On 26 March 2023, Israeli settlers burned a 70-sqm house adjacent to the settlement Street 60, which connects Ramallah with Nablus, in Sinjil village, east of Ramallah. The house is 50 meters away from an IOF military site. The house’s owner said to PCHR’s fieldworker that 4 Israeli settlers attacked his house with Molotov Cocktails and he and his family members managed to exit from the back door before the house was completely burned.

On the same day, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles passing by “Yitzhar” Bypass Road in Huwara village. As a result, windshield of a truck was broken.

On 27 March 2023, Israeli settlers set a truck and a vehicle ablaze and broke the windows of two ambulances, one of them was carrying samples to Tulkarm Hospital, and 3 other vehicles in widescale attacks on Huwara village.

On 29 March 2023, Israeli settlers attacked a house belonging to an elderly man in Kisan village, east of Bethlehem, and severely beat him and his son. As a result, the elderly man and his son sustained injuries and bruises and were taken to al-Hussain Hospital in Beit Jala village for treatment.

Since the beginning of the year, settlers have conducted at least 162 attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property. As a result, 6 Palestinians were killed and dozens of others were injured; most of them after being beaten and thrown with stones. Also, dozens of houses, vehicles and civilian facilities were set ablaze.

IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians:

 IOF carried out 185 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Those incursions included raids and searches of civilian houses and facilities and establishment of checkpoints. During those incursions, at least 81 Palestinians were arrested, including 10 children and a woman.

So far in 2023, IOF conducted 2,577 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 1,243 Palestinians were arrested, including 21 women and 158 children. Also, IOF conducted 9 incursions and arrested 23 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, including 6 fishermen, 14 infiltrators into Israel, and 3 travelers at Erez Crossing.

Israeli closure, restrictions on freedom of movement and collective punishment:

Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 15-year closure on the Gaza Strip. Details available in PCHR’s monthly-update in the Gaza crossings.

In the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, IOF continue to impose restrictions on the freedom of movement. On top of its 110 permanent checkpoints, IOF established 105 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

On 23 March 2023, IOF closed the vehicles lane at the military checkpoint 300 in northern Bethlehem and it is expected to remain closed throughout the month of Ramadan.

On 24 March 2023, IOF closed the metal detector gate established at the western entrance to Husan village and reopened it later.

On 25 March 2023, IOF declared Huwara village, southeast of Nablus, as a closed military zone and imposed a cordon on it. They closed the internal streets with sand berms, established more checkpoints and placed cement cubes on the village’s main street, as part of the collective punishment policy following the shooting attack against IOF in the village. IOF’s restrictions extended to affect all Nablus, as they closed all military checkpoints leading to the village, rendering entry into the city almost impossible.

So far in 2023, IOF established 1,558 temporary checkpoints and arrested 63 Palestinians at those checkpoints.

Huwara Again: Two Israeli Soldiers Injured in Shooting

 March 25, 2023

Hawara checkpoint at the entrance of the West Bank town of the same name located south of Nablus, following a reported shooting incident, on March 25, 2023. (Photo by JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP)

Two Israeli soldiers were wounded in a drive-by shooting attack in the northern West Bank town of Huwara on Saturday, Palestinian and Israeli media reported.

Two soldiers were hit by gunfire while securing a highway in the town, south of the West Bank city of Nablus, The Times of Israel quoted the occupation army as saying.

One of the soldiers was listed in serious condition, while the other suffered moderate injuries, the IDF said. The suspected attacker fled the scene by car.

The occupation military said in a statement that the suspected attacker fled the scene by car, adding that troops were closing several roads in the area near Nablus amid a manhunt for the gunman.

Palestinians in the town of Beita were celebrating the news, Quds News agency reported, adding that clashes then erupted between local residents and the occupation forces who raided the town.

Later on Saturday, scores of Zionist settlers, backed by occupation forces rampaged at the main entrance of Huwara.

It was the third shooting attack to occur in Huwara in recent weeks. Last Sunday, two Israelis were injured, one seriously, in a shooting in Huwara, near the site of the operation which killed two Zionists last February.

Source: Israeli and Palestinian media (translated and edited by Al-Manar English Website)

Palestinian Operations Kill Israeli, Injure 2

 March 20, 2023

Israeli vehicle comes under fire near Huwara (Sunday, March 19, 2023).

An Israeli was killed and two others were wounded in two operations in the occupied territories and the West Bank on Sunday.

A shooting took place near Huwara, south of Nablus, in the West Bank, injuring two Israelis.

Israeli media reported that an Israeli vehicle came under fire on the main street in Huwara.

Two Israelis were wounded, one of them seriously, Ynet reported, adding that the attacker initially managed to flee the scene of the shooting.

Regarding the details of the operation, Walla’s Amir Bukhbut said that the attacker shot the Israeli settlers at point-blank range.

Israeli occupation forces then launched a manhunt that concluded with a shootout not far from the scene, where the attacker was arrested, according to i24NEWS.

The location of Sunday’s shooting is close to the site of Huwara operation which took place last month and killed two Zionists.

Earlier on Sunday morning, a Zionist settler was stabbed to death near an Israeli settlement in the Jordan Valley.

The Israeli occupation Army Radio reported that a settler was killed after being stabbed near the so-called Israeli settlement of Sapir in Wadi Araba (Arava).

Israeli occupation forces opened a probe into the incident, according to Israeli Army Radio.

Source: Palestinian and Israeli media (translated and edited by Al-Manar English Website)

Related

Nablus resistance fiercely responds to Israeli incursion

March 16 2023

Israeli troops violently stormed Nablus’ Balata region to protect settlers who were on their way to Joseph’s Tomb

Settlers entering Joseph’s Tomb under protection from Israeli troops. July 2019. (Photo credit: IDF)

By News Desk

Israeli troops and settlers raided Balata village in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus in the early hours of 16 March, injuring three Palestinians and subjecting dozens to suffocation from tear gas, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

The military raided the area to protect dozens of Israeli settlers who were being accompanied by the troops while on their way to visit Joseph’s Tomb.

According to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS), three Palestinians were hit by live ammunition and were taken to the hospital. Palestinian ambulances were reportedly prevented from entering the Balata refugee camp.

As the Israeli army stormed Nablus’ eastern region, they deployed snipers across several buildings. Clashes started as a result, and Palestinian resistance fighters belonging to the Lions’ Den resistance group and other factions confronted the Israeli troops with gunfire.

Israeli troops were also targeted with Palestinian explosive devices, resulting in several injuries among their ranks.

“There are confirmed injuries after an Israeli infantry force was targeted with an explosive device during its storming of the Dahiya area in Nablus,” the Lions’ Den said in a statement.

تفجير عبوة ناسفة وسط جنود الاحتلال الذين يقتحمون المنطقة الشرقية في نابلس pic.twitter.com/pcJBCbltkr

— Hisham Abu Shaqrah | هشام أبو شقرة (@HShaqrah) March 15, 2023

“Our fighters also targeted a military jeep with a locally made explosive device on Amman Street in the eastern region of Nablus city,” the statement added.

🎥لحظة استهداف قوات الاحتلال بقنبلة محلية الصنع خلال اقتحام المنطقة الشرقية لمدينة #نابلسpic.twitter.com/knTKP42muH

— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) March 15, 2023

There has been a marked increase in the use of explosive devices against Israeli troops by the Palestinian resistance, resulting in significant concerns across Israel’s security establishment.

Settlers are regularly escorted into the Joseph’s Tomb holy site under heavy protection from Israeli troops, who violently storm the area for the settlers to enter.

On Thursday morning, Israeli troops stormed other areas of the West Bank, detaining several Palestinians.

As the Palestinian resistance in the occupied West Bank spreads exponentially, Israeli troops have stepped up their violent raids.

Since the start of the year, Israel has killed at least 84 Palestinians. With Ramadan approaching, tensions are expected to ignite even further, as Israel is known to step up harsh security measures during the holy month.

On 14 March, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) resistance movement called on Palestinians in all the occupied territories to take up arms and launch a third intifada.

ISRAEL PROTESTS SHOULD NOT BE CONFUSED WITH THE PALESTINIAN STRUGGLE FOR EQUALITY

MARCH 16TH, 2023

RAMZY BAROUD

ِAs hundreds of thousands throughout Israel joined anti-government protests, questions began to arise regarding how this movement would affect, or possibly merge, into the broader struggle against the Israeli military occupation and apartheid in Palestine.

Pro-Palestine media outlets shared, with obvious excitement, news about statements made by Hollywood celebrities, like Mark Ruffalo, about the need to “sanction the new hard rightwing government of (Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin) Netanyahu.”

Netanyahu, who sits at the heart of the current controversy and mass protests, struggled to find a single pilot for the flight carrying him to Rome on March 9 for a three-day visit with the Italian government. The reception for the Israeli leader in Italy was equally cold. Italian translator Olga Dalia Padoa reportedly refused to interpret Netanyahu’s speech, scheduled for March 9 at a Rome synagogue.

One can appreciate the need to strategically use the upheaval against Netanyahu’s far-right government to expose Israel’s fraudulent claim to true democracy, supposedly ‘the only democracy in the Middle East.’ However, one has to be equally careful not to validate Israel’s inherently racist institutions that had existed for decades before Netanyahu arrived in power.

The Israeli Prime Minister has been embroiled in corruption cases for years. Though he remained popular, Netanyahu lost his position at the helm of Israeli politics in June 2021 following three bitterly-contested elections. Yet, he returned on December 29, 2022, this time with even more corrupt – even by Israel’s own definition – characters such as Aryeh Deri, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the latter two currently serving as the ministers of finance and national security, respectively.

Each one of these characters had a different reason for joining the coalition. For example, Smotrich and Ben Gvir’s agenda ranged from annexing illegal West Bank settlements to the deportation of Arab politicians considered ‘disloyal’ to the state.

Netanyahu, though a rightwing ideologue, is more concerned with personal ambitions: maintaining power as long as possible while shielding himself and his family from legal problems. He simply wants to stay out of prison. To do so, he also needs to satisfy the dangerous demands of his allies, who have been given free rein to unleash army and settler violence against Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank, as has been the case in Huwwara, Nablus, Jenin and elsewhere.

But Netanyahu’s government, the most stable in years, has bigger goals than just “wiping out” Palestinian towns off the map. Instead, they want to alter the judicial system that would allow them to transform Israeli society. The reform would grant the government control over judicial appointments by limiting the Israeli Supreme Court’s power to exercise judicial review.

The protests in Israel have very little to do with the Israeli occupation and apartheid and are hardly concerned with Palestinian rights. They are led by many former Israeli leaders, like former Prime Minister Ehud Barak, former minister Tzipi Livni and former prime minister and leader of the opposition Yair Lapid. During the Naftali Bennett-Yair Lapid stint in power, between June 2021 and December 2022, hundreds of Palestinians were killed in the West Bank. UN Special Coordinator described 2022 for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, as the “deadliest” in the West  Bank since 2005. Illegal Jewish settlements expanded rapidly during that time, while Gaza was routinely bombed.

Yet, the Bennett-Lapid government faced little backlash from Israeli society for its bloody and illegal actions in Palestine. The Israeli Supreme Court, which has approved most of the government actions in Occupied Palestine, also faced little or no protests for certifying apartheid and validating the supposed legality of the Jewish colonies, all illegal under international law. The stamp of approval by the Supreme Court was also granted when Israel passed the Nation-State Law, identifying itself exclusively as a Jewish state, thus casting off the entirety of the Arab Muslim and Christian population, which shares the same mass of land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.

Rarely did the Israeli judicial system take the side of Palestinians, and when little ‘victories’ were recorded now and then, they hardly altered the overall reality. Though one can understand the desperation of those trying to fight against Israeli injustices using the country’s own ‘justice system,’ such language has contributed to the confusion regarding what Israel’s ongoing protests mean for Palestinians.

This is not the first time Israelis have gone out on the streets in large numbers. In August 2011, Israel experienced what some called Israel’s own ‘Arab Spring.’ But that was also a class struggle within clearly defined ideological boundaries and political interests that rarely overlapped with a parallel battle for equality, justice and human rights.

Dual socio-economic struggles exist in many societies worldwide, and conflating between them is not unprecedented. In the case of Israel, however, such confusion can be dangerous because the outcome of Israel’s protests, be it a success or failure, could spur unfounded optimism or demoralize those fighting for Palestinian freedom.

Though stark violations of international law, arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial executions and everyday violence against Palestinians mainly occur within Israel’s legal framework. These acts are fully sanctioned by Israeli courts, including the country’s Supreme Court. This means that, even if Netanyahu fails to hegemonize the judicial system, Palestinian civilians will continue to be tried in military courts, which will carry out the routine of approving home demolition, illegal land seizure and the construction of settlements.

A proper engagement with the ongoing protests is to expose further how Tel Aviv utilizes the judicial system to maintain the illusion that Israel is a country of law and order and that all the actions and violence in Palestine, however bloody and destructive, are entirely justifiable according to the country’s legal framework.

Yes, Israel should be sanctioned, not because of Netanyahu’s attempt at co-opting the judiciary, but because the apartheid and regime of military occupation constitute complete disregard and utter violation of international law. Whether Israelis like it or not, international law is the only law that matters to an occupied and oppressed nation.

Feature photo | Israeli demonstrators take part in an anti-government protest in Tel Aviv, March 16, 2023. Ilia Yefimovich | C dpa via AP

Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of six books. His latest book, co-edited with Ilan Pappé, is ‘Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Speak Out.’ His other books include ‘My Father was a Freedom Fighter’ and ‘The Last Earth.’ Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA). His website is www.ramzybaroud.net

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect MintPress News editorial policy.

Using 3D analysis, WashPo recreates moment IOF executed civilians

11 Mar 2023

Source: Washington Post

By Al Mayadeen English 

The Washington Post recreates a 3D reconstruction of the massacre in Nablus.

A reconstructed 3D image of the attack on civilians in Nablus (The Washington Post)

A 3D analysis published by the Washington Post on Friday revealed how the IOF carried out the massacre in the Old City in Nablus on February 22 which resulted in the death of 11 Palestinians.

A 16-year-old child was among the martyred. 

  • 16-year-old Mohammed Shabaan left, and 65-year-old Abdelaziz Ashqar were killed as an Israeli armored vehicle fired at least 14 shots into a group of civilians gathered in a staircase outside of a clinic (Courtesy of the Shaaban and Ashqar families)

The analysis shows how the IOF fired at least 14 times from inside an armored vehicle as it was moving, then made a sudden stop next to a wall behind which civilians had gathered to shelter themselves.

The IOF fired about 14 shots and continued to fire even though the civilians were clearly visible from the vehicle’s window. 

WP spoke with two witnesses to the shooting and obtained previously unpublished videos of the incident from a bystander and the IOF. 

WP reporter managed to collect visual evidence at the scene and reconstruct it using 3D modeling software, and reporters also reviewed more than 30 videos filmed in Nablus that day.

At least 11 Palestinians were martyred and 100, including several in critical condition, have been injured in confrontations that erupted between Palestinian Resistance fighters and Israeli occupation forces after the latter stormed the northern occupied West Bank city of Nablus on February 22.

Among the martyrs are one child and two elderly Palestinians. The Palestinian Ministry of Health identified the martyrs as 72-year-old Adnan Sabaa Baara, 61-year-old Abd Al-Hadi Abd Al-Aziz Ashqar, Muhammad Khaled Anbousi, 25, Tamer Nimer Ahmed Minawi, 33, Musab Munir Muhammad Awais, 26, Hussam Bassam Islim, 24, Muhammad Abdel-Fattah Abdel-Ghani, 23, Walid Riyad Hussein Dakhil, 23, Muhammad Shaaban, 16, and Jassir Jamil Qan’ir, 23.

Israeli occupation forces, in huge numbers, stormed the outskirts of the Old City in Nablus and surrounded a house amid heavy gunfire. During the confrontations, Israeli occupation forces fired live bullets and stun and gas grenades.

The occupation brought in large military reinforcements from the Hawara military checkpoint. Palestinians circulated footage of occupation vehicles storming the eastern market, while many residents were inside the place.

The occupation forces fired an anti-tank missile at the besieged house causing a violent explosion and columns of smoke rose from the place.

Palestinian residents also tried to obstruct the occupation forces’ storming of the City and confronted them with stones and empty bottles. In turn, the Israeli occupation forces fired live bullets and tear gas canisters between residential neighborhoods.

Related Stories

Destruction of the ‘Third Temple’: Israel on the brink of civil war

February 28 2023

Recent mass protests in Israel against controversial, undemocratic judicial reforms have raised concerns about the potential for domestic civil clashes which threaten the fundamental stability of the ‘Jewish state.’

Photo Credit: The Cradle

By The Cradle’s Palestine Correspondent

As tens of thousands of Israelis rallied in protests against their government’s judicial reform plan, the Israeli army conducted a major security operation in Nablus on 22 February, resulting in the death of 11 civilians and injuries to more than 100 others.

The ongoing demonstrations against the controversial bill are becoming increasingly violent, with angry slogans and protester actions leading to the recent killing of a demonstrator by the Israeli police in the city of Beersheba in southern occupied Palestine.

One defining moment of the protests occurred last week – during the first vote on the draft judicial reforms – when protesters were able to storm the Knesset parliament building before being removed by security forces.

Undermining the region’s ‘only democracy’

The judicial reform plan is one of the most significant initiatives of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s sixth government. It aims to limit the powers of judges, which currently exceed those of Knesset deputies, and to allow for exceptional intervention by Knesset members in the appointment of judges.

Netanyahu’s opponents argue that the reform plans led by Justice Minister Yariv Levin are a brazen attempt to “politicize and undermine the judiciary” in order to protect the prime minister from prosecution on longstanding charges of “corruption and breach of trust.”

According to Chief Justice Esther Hayut, the proposed reforms will:

“Deprive the court of the option to override laws that disproportionately violate human rights, including the right to life, property, freedom of movement, as well as the basic right of human dignity and its derivatives – the right to equality, freedom of speech and more.”

Former Chief Justice Aharon Barak has expressed similar concerns, calling the bill “the beginning of the end of the Third Temple” – an apocalyptic expression and fear denoting the beginning of Israel’s demise.

 In his book, Third Temple, Israeli reporter and writer Ari Shavit analyzes how in the state’s eighth decade, the Israelis have become their own enemies: “With security challenges one can cope … but the disintegration of identity cannot be overcome.”

Israel’s impending ‘civil war’

In the corridors of Israeli power, the term “treason” is being bandied around more frequently, in parallel with National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir’s call for police to deal “more firmly” with domestic protesters.

Following Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s warning that Netanyahu’s plan could push the country to “the brink of constitutional and social collapse,” the term “civil war” is being routinely used by the Hebrew press, with Haaretz analyst Anshel Pfeffer opining that “civil war is no longer unthinkable.”

“Over the last few days, I’ve found myself in conversations I never imagined I’d ever have … But the topic is deadly serious: the various ways a civil war might suddenly break out, and who would win,” muses Pfeffer, asking ominously “will (Israel’s) law enforcement, security agencies, and the military take sides?”

Israeli affairs researcher Ismail Mohammed tells The Cradle that the notion of a civil war in Israel is no longer just a pipe dream hoped for by the occupation state’s adversaries. Yedidia Stern, head of the Jewish People Policy Institute founded by the Jewish Agency, had said that Israel is closer to civil war than at any time since the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin in 1995 and the withdrawal from Gaza in 2005. Both are events in which Israel teetered on the brink of civil war.

The battle for judicial reform in Israel is not just a simple conflict, but rather reflects deeper issues that touch on the identity of the state and its social composition. The goal of some political groups, such as the coalition of Ben Gvir and right-wing Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, is to change Israel from a secular liberal state to a state based on religious law: to regulate religious observances and the daily conduct of Jews – or in Hebrew terminology, a form of “Halakha.”

This is also evident in the statement made by Haredi Ashkenazi lawmaker Yitzhak Pindrus, who, on the 74th anniversary of the Nakba, expressed a desire to “blow up” the building of the Supreme Court, which governs secular civil laws that are contrary to religious teachings.

The polarization isn’t only between secular and religious Jews. The ugly old division between eastern and western Jews is also rearing its head. Ben Gvir, for instance, has repeatedly called for reducing the power of the “Ashkenazi” over the state, demanding the inclusion of “Sephardic” Mizrahi Jews in Israel’s institutions.

A recent statement by Otzma Yehudit MK Zvika Vogel on the Hebrew Kan 11 website reflects this significant shift from mere political differences to an existential clash between two different Israels. Vogel called for the arrest of opposition politicians Yair Lapid, Benny Gantz, Yair Golan, and Moshe Ya’alon for fanning civil war, describing them as “the most dangerous people at the present time in Israel.”

As Israeli affairs analyst Anwar Saleh explains to The Cradle: “The issue is much more serious than a demand for equality and citizenship. Netanyahu’s extremist coalition holds convictions that affect the very foundations of the state, such as a return to the elementary question  of ‘who is a Jew?’”

“This political demographic considers that secular Jews – who constitute more than 44 percent of Israelis – are ‘false Jews,’ and that the current government, which is controlled by the religious right, who make up 20 percent of the population, represent the true spirit of Judaism,” Saleh continues. “This debate happening today – 74 years after the state of Israel was created – affects the very basis on which the Jewish Agency launched its immigration program to draw Jews to Palestine.”

Divestment amid uncertainty

It is noteworthy that over 50 investment companies have moved their business from Israel to other countries since the start of the protests. This mass flight includes 37 technology firms.

The development prompted Israeli Minister of Science and Technology Ofir Okunis to hold a private meeting with foreign ambassadors in Tel Aviv, during which he urged them to take a stand on the matter.

In response, the tech firms released a statement refusing to repatriate $2.2 billion in earnings from their foreign operations back to Israel. The owners of these companies have also expressed concern about a drop in the country’s credit rating because politicians are now appointing judges, which they see as an unfavorable environment for business. This has prompted a number of investors to transfer funds in Israel abroad.

‘Moses’ staff’

Even if Netanyahu today wielded the powerful “staff of Moses,” he would not be able to beat down the powerful domestic schisms tearing Israel apart. However, the one tool at the prime minister’s disposal is to divert Israeli attention elsewhere – though this will eventually re-ignite conflict within. In essence, whether now or later, his country will face its civil conflict.

Despite its many differences, Israeli society is united in the perception – fanned by their politicians and media – that it is under existential threat from the outside. Observers speculate that Netanyahu’s only hope to quell internal conflict now is to manufacture a hot external threat.

The occupied West Bank is seen as the least politically sensitive and most flexible option for action, according to political analyst Ayman al-Rifati. He explains to The Cradle that, unlike in the past, Gaza today is the theater in which Israel seeks to maintain calm in order to avoid military escalation during the coming Ramadan season.

The increasing sophistication of missiles held in Gaza’s resistance arsenals also poses too high a risk, with unknown and uncontrollable consequences that Israel may have to bear. The West Bank, conversely, is relatively unweaponized, with small arms concentrated in much fewer hands.

And despite a steady stream of threats from Tel Aviv, there are no indications of Israel starting a war with either Iran or Hezbollah, although the option of carrying out targeted security operations that elicit a reaction from these opponents remains active.

The recent attack by Jewish settlers on the town of Huwara, in the West Bank city of Nablus – is a by-product of Netanyahu’s efforts to mobilize Israeli sentiments toward launching a comprehensive confrontation with West Bank Palestinians. One of the key objectives of this clash is to draw attention away from Israel’s internal collapse.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of The Cradle.

Business and economy civil war

divestment

Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestine (Weekly Update 23 February- 01 March 2023)

March 2, 2023

Violation of right to life and bodily integrity:

Three Palestinian civilians were shot dead: two by Israeli Occupation Forces and one by Israeli settlers. Also, a member of Palestinian armed groups succumbed to his pervious injury. Moreover, 16 Palestinians, including 3 children, a woman, and a journalist, were injured, while dozens of others suffocated in IOF attacks in eastern Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:

On 23 February 2023, Mohammed Nabil al-Sabbah (30), from Jenin refugee camp, died at An-Najah Hospiral in Nablus, succumbing to a live bullet injury in the abdomen.  Al-Sabbah who was a member of Palestinian armed groups, was wounded on 12 February 2023 during IOF incursion into the camp.

On 24 February 2023, medical sources at al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron declared the death of Mohammed Isma’il Mohammed Jawabreh (21), a Palestinian police officer from Al-Arroub refugee camp, succumbing to a live bullet injury in the back of his head.  IOF opened fire at him at around 14:00 a day before from a distance of 30 meters while He was with 3 persons on his house roof during clashes that broke out in the camp.

On 26 February 2023, Sameh al-Aqtash (37) was killed after being shot with a live bullet in his abdomen by Israeli settlers during a widescale attack on Za’tara village as part of a series of retaliatory attacks on southern Nablus’s villages. (Details available in PCHR’s press release).

On 01 March 2023, Mahmoud Jamal Hamdan (22) died few hours after being arrested and injured by IOF fire during the latter’s incursion into ‘Aqabat Jaber refugee camp in Jericho. Also, a Palestinian was shot and another was ran over in addition to 5 others arrested, including 3 brothers and son of one of the latter. According to PCHR’s investigations, an Israeli Special Force sneaked into ‘Aqabat Jaber refugee camp and cordoned off a house belonging to Shalloun family. Afterwards, Israeli backups arrived shooting and firing teargas canisters as well as threatening to bomb the house. Meanwhile, IOF opened fire at Mahmoud Hamdan while driving his motorcycle out of a nearby wood carpentry shop, wounding him with a live bullet in his abdomen. A Palestine Red Crescent Society medical crew arrived and tried to give him first aid, but IOF arrested him and took him to an unknown destination. Later in the evening, Hamdan’s death was announced. During their withdrawal from the camp, IOF detained a young man and his child and used them as human shields during their raid into the house. IOF also pulled a civilian Hyundai Tucson car to the middle of the street and broke its windows.

Meanwhile, those injured were victims of IOF excessive use of force during their incursions into the Palestinian cities and villages, or suppression of peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians, and they were as follows:

On 23 February 2023, a Palestinian was shot with  a live bullet in his foot during clashes with IOF near a observation point established at the entrance to Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron.

On the same day, a woman was shot with a live bullet in her lower limbs by IOF at the entrance to “Ma’ale Adumim” settlement, which is established on occupied East Jerusalem’s lands, under the pretext that she tried to carry out a stabbing attack. IOF arrested the injured woman and took her to an Israeli hospital in West Jerusalem.

On 24 February 2023, two Palestinians, including a child, were shot with rubber-coated bullets, and others suffocated due to teargas inhalation during IOF’s suppression of Kafr Qaddoum weekly protest in northern Qalqilya.

On the same day, 4 Palestinians were directly hit with teargas canisters, and others suffocated due to teargas inhalation during clashes with IOF that accompanied the latter’s suppression of a peaceful protest near Bab al-Zawiyia in Hebron, where IOF established an observation point and a military checkpoint particularly at the entrance to al-Shuhada closed street. The peaceful protest was organized to commemorate the 29th anniversary of al-Ibrahimi Mosque massacre, which was committed by an Israeli settler at the time.

Also, two Palestinians, including a journalist, were directly hit with teargas canisters, and others suffocated due to teargas inhalation after IOF targeted dozens of protestors gathered ten meters away from the barbed wire fence in eastern Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis,  against the IOF’s escalating violations in the West Bank.  

On the same day, a 14-year-old child was hit with a teargas canister by IOF during the latter’s suppression of protestors gathered near the border fence, northeast of Jabalia. As a result, the child sustained brain laceration and was referred to al-Shifa Medical Complex, where his health condition was deemed critical.

On 26 February 2023, a Palestinian was hit with a live bullet in his foot in clashes with IOF during their incursion into Teqoa village in Bethlehem. Before withdrawing, IOF arrested a child after they raided his house.

On the same day, two Palestinians were shot with live and rubber bullets after IOF opened fire at persons for approaching the border fence, northeast of Jabalia refugee camp.

In the Gaza Strip, 8 IOF shootings were reported on agricultural lands in eastern Gaza Strip, and 4 shootings were reported on fishing boats off the Western Gaza shores.

So far in 2023, IOF attacks have killed 66 Palestinians, including 35 civilians; 11 of them were children and a woman, while the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups, including 2 children, 5 killed by settlers, and one died in Israeli prisons. Meanwhile, 302 Palestinians, including 42 children, 2 women, and 8 journalists, were injured.

Land razing, demolitions, and notices

IOF displaced 4 families of 20, including 12 children and 4 women, after demolishing 5 houses; 4 of them were self-demolished by their owners. Also, IOF demolished 11 facilities and confiscated two vehicles in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:

On 23 February 2023, IOF demolished 11 facilities, including commercial barracks and vegetable stalls, at the entrance to Jalamah village, north of Jenin.  

On 25 February 2023, IOF confiscated a Burqin and Kafr ad-Dik municipal garbage truck, west of Salfit. They also detained the driver and two workers, threatening them not to put the garbage in that area again, under the pretext that the area is classified as Area “C”.

On the same day, IOF confiscated an excavator working in Qarawat Bani Hassan village lands, under the pretext of working in Area C.

On 26 February 2023, IOF forced a Palestinian to implement the Israeli occupation municipal order and self-demolish his 100-sqm house in Silwan village in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction, rendering a family of 8, including a woman and 6 children, homeless.

On 27 February 2023, IOF notified to demolish a 120-sqm house sheltering a family of 6, including 4 children, as well as a house concrete slab in eastern Yatta city in Hebron.

On 28 February 2023, IOF forced a Palestinian to self-demolish two small houses built on an area of 120 square meters in Beit Hanina village in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction. As a result, the Palestinian and his wife have become homeless.

On the same day, IOF forced a Palestinian to implement the Israeli occupation municipal order and self-demolish his 30-sqm house in Ras al-‘Amoud neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction. As a result, a family of 5, including a woman and 3 children, was displaced.

Also, IOF demolished parts of a 120-sqm house in Jabel Mukaber village in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction. As a result, a family of 4, including a woman and 2 children, were displaced.

Moreover, IOF demolished the remaining parts of two under-construction houses belonging to 2 brothers in’ Issawiya village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction. The owners of the two houses were forced to self-demolish their houses 2 weeks ago. Also, IOF handed them a fine of 100,00 shekels for demolition costs and for the Israeli municipality staff and vehicles.

Since the beginning of 2023, IOF have made 52 families homeless, a total of 315 persons, including 64 women and 142 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 54 houses; 16 were forcibly self-demolished by their owners and 6 were demolished on grounds of collective punishment. IOF also demolished 53 other civilian objects, razed other property, and delivered dozens of notices of demolition and cease-construction in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Settler-attacks and retaliatory acts:

A Palestinian was killed, and two others were injured by Israeli settlers’ fire in at least 100 attacks carried out by settlers under IOF’s protection. Most of those attacks mainly targeted Huwara village and Nablus’s southern villages, where Israeli settlers burned dozens of houses and vehicles, as part of retaliatory acts. Details are as follows:

On 23 February 2023, two Palestinians were injured: one with a live bullet in his abdomen and the other with a live bullet in his left thigh after Israeli settlers, from “Esh Kodesh” settlement outpost established on Nablus village’s lands, opened fire at them during their attack on the outskirts of Qusra village.  The settlers also threw stones and opened fire at Palestinians and their houses at them.

On 25 February 2023, Israeli settlers, from “al-Ras” settlement outpost established on Salfit village’s lands, attacked a group of Palestinian farmers in the nearby lands and forced them to leave after opening fire in the air. The settlers also damaged a vehicle belonging to the farmers.

On 26 February 2023, hundreds of Israeli settlers conducted widescale violence and retaliatory acts under the protection of IOF in several villages in Nablus. As a result, a Palestinian was killed and another was wounded with bullets, while dozens of houses, facilities and vehicles were set ablaze. ( Details available in PCHR’s press release.)

On the same day, settlers set a poultry farm ablaze in Salfit, completely burning it and killing 2500 chicks. Also, the settlers set a vehicle ablaze at the entrance to Yasuf village, east of Salfit, and completely burned it.

Also, two Palestinians were beaten by Israeli settlers who threw stones at Palestinian vehicles and burned one of them in al-Mo’arajat area, north of Jericho.

On the same day, 3 Palestinians sustained bruises after Israeli settlers attacked their vehicles in the outskirts of Jibiya village, north of Ramallah. Also, Israeli settlers threw stones at Palestinian vehicles and houses in Sinjil and Al-Mughayyir villages and near Umm Safa village in Ramallah.

Since the beginning of the year, settlers have conducted at least 139 attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property. As a result, 5 Palestinians were killed and dozens of others were injured; most of them after being beaten and thrown with stones/ Also, dozens of houses, vehicles and civilian facilities were set ablaze.

IOF incursions and arrests of Palestinian civilians:

 IOF carried out 184 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Those incursions included raids and searches of civilian houses and facilities and establishment of checkpoints. During those incursions, at least 50 Palestinians were arrested, including 8 children. In the Gaza Strip, on 25 February 2023, IOF arrested 4 children while trying to infiltrate through the border fence adjacent to Um al-Nasser village and released them the next day. Also, IOF conducted 3 limited incursions in northern Beit Hanoun on 26 February 2033, in northeastern Jabalia on 28 February 2023, and in eastern Khan Yunis on 01 March 2023.

So far in 2023, IOF conducted 1,765 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 891 Palestinians were arrested, including 16 women and 119 children. Also, IOF arrested 12 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip; 6 were fishermen and 6 were trying to infiltrate into Israel. IOF also conducted 5 incursions.

Israeli closure and restrictions on freedom of movement:

Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 15-year closure on the Gaza Strip. Details available in PCHR’s monthly-update in the Gaza crossings.

In the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, IOF continue to impose restrictions on the freedom of movement. On top of its 110 permanent checkpoints, IOF established 126 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and arrested 2 Palestinians at those checkpoints.

Since 26 February 2023, IOF have imposed a cordon on Huwara village in Nablus, place cement cubes on the main street, impede the movement of individuals and vehicles, and prevent the shops’ owners from opening.  This cordon is part of the collective punishment measures following the killing of 2 settlers in a shooting attack near the village.

Since 27 February 2023, IOF have imposed a tight cordon on Jericho following the killing of an Israeli settler in a shooting attack  near the city. IOF closed all checkpoints, main and sub-streets leading to the city and established more military checkpoints, impeding the movement of individuals and vehicles and searching them.

This week, IOF closed military checkpoints in Jerusalem and Bethlehem several times and reopened them later.

So far in 2023, IOF established 1074 temporary military checkpoints and arrested 50 Palestinians at those checkpoints.

Lions’ Den urges organized involvement in resistance with any means

Feb 24, 2023

Source: Agencies

By Al Mayadeen English 

The Lion’s Den Resistance warns the Israeli occupation that retaliation for the Nablus massacre is inevitable.

Lion’s Den Resistance fighters

    The Lions’ Den (Areen Al-Ousoud) Resistance group confirmed that resistance has extended its presence throughout the West Bank and stressed that whoever thinks that the Lions’ Den is over “is delusional because the Resistance now possesses a shield and a sword.”

    The group further said in a statement, on Thursday, that “whoever bets on ending the Lions’ Den groups is delusional and weak” and does not know anything about the soldiers involved in this Resistance group.

    The Lions’ Den called on the masses to go out tonight onto the main streets and squares in every city, village, and camp “so that the whole world could hear the sounds of Palestinians glorifying God … and preparing in these hours for the battle of a striking response.”

    The statement further added, “We invite you to engage immediately in resistance work, whatever the capabilities, but with good planning.” The Lion’s Den also called on the people of the city of Nablus, its camps, and villages, to participate in collective prayer on Friday morning.

    The Lion’s Den continued, “We can say to our people now, after Tulkarem joined the armed Resistance and the completion of the formation of its cells, that the Resistance in the West Bank now has a shield and a sword.”

    Moreover, the statement warned the occupation that it will spend “a long time” attempting to “study, research, and analyze the phenomenon of the Lions’ Den” in order to understand it, “but despite all that, you [the occupation] will fail, and we [Lion’s Den] will prevail.”

    The Resistance group concluded, “We will not deviate our compass no matter the cost” and warned the occupation, saying, “We are coming from where you do not expect us.”

    Nablus’ massacre

    The Palestinian Ministry of Health announced on Wednesday that the number of martyrs as a result of the Israeli occupation massacre in Nablus in the occupied West Bank rose to 11.

    The Ministry said earlier that 102 Palestinians were injured during the IOF raid, some of whom are in critical condition, and were transferred to Rafidia Governmental Hospital in Nablus

    A mass funeral was held in Nablus for ten of the martyrs amid public outrage calling for revenge for those killed by the Israeli occupation forces.

    Palestinian Resistance group, the Lions’ Den (Areen Al-Ousoud), said in response to the Israeli massacre, “We will respond with a blow to the occupation, and everyone should know that statements of denunciation and condemnation will not fend off the enemy.”

    The group also announced that the door to partake in Resistance operations along the forces of the Lions’ Den groups is open, noting that engaging in battles of honor requires nothing but determination and sincere intention.

    During the IOF storming of the city, the Lions’ Den called on the Palestinian people and its Resistance to take to the streets and confront the occupation forces in support of their brethren in Nablus.

    For his part, the Secretary General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement Ziad Al-Nakhala affirmed that what happened in Nablus is a major crime committed by the occupation against the Palestinian people, stressing that it is the duty of the Resistance forces to respond to this crime without hesitation.

    Heavy confrontations erupted between Palestinian Resistance fighters and Israeli occupation forces on Wednesday morning after the latter stormed Nablus.

    The occupation brought in large military reinforcements from the Hawara military checkpoint. Palestinians circulated footage of occupation vehicles storming the eastern market, while many residents were still there.

    Following the massacre, the military spokesperson for Al-Qassam Brigades, Abu Obeida, said the Resistance in Gaza is watching the Israeli occupation’s escalating crimes against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, warning that its patience is running out.

    Israeli offensives continue in the northern West Bank for several months now under the pretext of pursuing wanted individuals, with most raids being concentrated on Nablus, Jenin, Beit Lahm, Ramallah, and Al-Khalil.

    Read more: Israeli occupation forces commit massacre in Old City in Nablus

    Related Stories

    Resistance refuses Egypt request against retaliation: Al Mayadeen

    Feb 23, 2023

    Source: Al Mayadeen Net

    By Al Mayadeen English 

    Sources from the Palestinian resistance tell Al Mayadeen that the resistance rejected the Egyptian request for a military response, stressing the need to unite the fronts.

    Palestinian resistance factions in Nablus, February 23, 2023. (Social media) 

    Palestinian resistance sources told Al Mayadeen on Thursday, that efforts have been made since yesterday to keep the situation from devolving into a wider battle against the backdrop of the Nablus massacre.

    The sources said that the Egyptian mediator asked the resistance factions in Gaza not to respond militarily, and to stick to popular resistance, demonstrations, and protests in the occupied West Bank. However, the Egyptian request, according to the sources, was a warning against Israeli consequences if the resistance decides to respond. 

    The resistance rejected this request of “extortion” and stressed the need to establish a “unity of  the fronts.”

    Sources confirmed that the rocket attack that took place on Thursday morning will not be the only response, emphasizing that all options remain open.

    According to the sources, the UN envoy also took part in the calls for negotiations against retaliation. 

    This comes at a time when the Hamas movement affirmed that the resistance in the Gaza Strip will always be present to defend the people, adding that it monitors all the details of the Israeli crime against the Palestinian people and confirmed that its patience is running out.

    The Palestinian resistance resumed its bombing of Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip on Thursday morning, amid overflights of occupation warplanes in response to Israeli aggression.

    For its part, the Lions’ Den resistance group sent an urgent message to the Palestinian people and their resistance fighters, urging them to take to the streets and clash with the occupation in conjunction with the ongoing Israeli aggression in Nablus.

    The Lions’ Den vowed “We will respond in kind to the occupation, and everyone must know that simply issuing statements denouncing ‘Israel’s’ actions will not suffice.”

    This comes after clashes broke out between the occupation forces and resistance fighters, following the storming of the eastern market area in the city of Nablus, on Wednesday, as a result of which 11 Palestinians, including a boy, were martyred, and hundreds were wounded by occupation fire.

    Likewise, the Secretary-General of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement, Ziyad al-Nakhala, affirmed on Wednesday that what happened in Nablus is a major crime committed by the occupation against the Palestinian people, stressing that it is the duty as resistance forces to respond to this crime without hesitation.

    Related News

    IN PHOTOS: General Strike in Occupied Palestine following Israeli Killings in Nablus

    February 23, 2023

    Palestinians observed a general strike following the deadly Israeli raid on Nablus. (Photo: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle)

    By Palestine Chronicle Staff

    Palestinians observed a general strike across the Occupied Palestinian Territories on Thursday following an Israeli massacre in the northern Palestinian town of Nablus. 

    On Wednesday morning, Israeli forces raided the occupied city of Nablus in the West Bank. The Israeli attack, on one of the most populous Palestinian cities, resulted in the killing of eleven Palestinians and the wounding of another 102. 

    The general strike included the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. 

    On Thursday, Israel bombed several Palestinian targets in Gaza, which had retaliated against the Israeli killings in Nablus by firing six rockets toward Israeli towns and settlements. 

    The Israeli missiles caused no injuries but damage in the targeted areas. 

    The escalation followed a statement by the United Nations criticizing Israel’s illegal settlement construction on occupied Palestinian land. 

    Palestinian political groups issued a statement following the Israeli escalation to explain the general strike as an “expression of the Palestinian anger and a way to expose the heinous crimes committed by the Israeli fascist occupation forces.”

    The groups also called on all Palestinians to “express their anger and denunciation of these crimes, through popular and mass movements, and to confront the Israeli occupation.”

    The Palestine Chronicle correspondent reported on the results of the general strike in Gaza, and sent us these photos. 

    (All Photos: Mahmoud Ajjour, The Palestine Chronicle)

    Donate NOW  Learn More  Watch Video

    Israeli Strikes in Gaza as Palestine Observes Day of Rage over Nablus Massacre

     February 23, 2023

    Israeli warplanes struck several targets in Gaza (Thursday, February 23, 2023).

    Palestinian cities are observing on Thursday a day of rage over the brutal Israeli massacre in Nablus a day earlier. Few hours earlier, Israeli warplanes staged several air strikes on Gaza.

    Nablus and several other cities across Al-Quds and the West Bank, as well as Gaza, were in general strike on Thursday, with residents outraged over the brutal assault which killed 11 Palestinians and injured more than 100 others earlier on Wednesday.

    Shops, schools, universities and several other businesses were shut in Nablus, Al-Khalil (Hebron), Ramallah, Jenin and other Palestinian cities in mourning of the eleven martyrs who fell after Israeli occupation forces raided Nablus Old City on Wednesday.

    The martyrs included 3 elderly men and a child, Palestinian media reported, adding that 7 of the injured were in critical condition.

    Nablus residents bid farewell to the Palestinian martyrs on Thursday, with photos and videos of weeping families circulating on social media.

    Gaza Strikes

    Earlier on Thursday morning, Israeli warplanes carried out bombing raids against two sites in the Gaza Strip.

    Fighter jets hit targets in central Gaza and in the coastal enclave’s northern part, the occupation military said in a statement, noting that the assault was after “six rockets were fired into southern Israel in an apparent revenge attack for a deadly Israeli incursion into Nablus a day earlier.”

    Videos shared on social media showed a large explosion at a building near the coast, and a dark plume of smoke rising above the densely populated enclave in the early morning light.

    Israeli occupation police earlier raised their alert level amid fears of a reprisal attack, as a spokesman for Hamas’s military wing issued a veiled threat.

    Hamas’ Qassem Hazem said the resistance group was “closely monitoring the enemy’s escalating crimes against our people in the occupied West Bank, and its patience is running out.”

    For his part, the Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad Al-Nakhala called the Israeli raid a “huge crime.”

    “It is our duty as resistance forces to respond to this crime without hesitation,” he said.

    Source: Palestinian and Israeli media (translated and edited by Al-Manar English Website)

    Related Articles

    %d bloggers like this: