IOF Kills Two Palestinians in Nablus in an Assassination Operation

 July 7, 2023

The Israeli occupation forces carried out a violent operation in Nablus, which left two unarmed Palestinian Red Crescent youths dead. Hamza Maqbool and Khairy Shaheen were assassinated during an incursion into the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. The raid was carried out on Friday amid intense fighting between resistance fighters and the Israeli occupation forces.

The Palestinian Red Crescent had previously reported that two young men were injured, with gunshots to the back and leg. Palestinian sources said that a special Israeli occupation force demanded that one of the young men surrender himself before opening fire. The resistance fighters responded with bullets and homemade explosive devices.

Another sad day for Palestinians and another sad farewell

Israeli occupation forces assassinated, this morning, two Palestinians during a military raid into Nablus’s Old City, just days after killing 12 Palestinians in a brutal offensive in Jenin city. pic.twitter.com/r3fxtfWYuw

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) July 7, 2023

The occupation army deployed military reinforcements after discovering the resistance fighters. During the storming of Nablus, the Israeli occupation forces deployed intensively in Hittin Street in the city. Reports suggest that resistance fighters also detonated a high-explosive device in an enemy pocket in the old city of Nablus.

Video: Israeli occupation forces withdraw from the occupied West Bank city of Nablus after besieging a house and killing two Palestinian youths, this morning. pic.twitter.com/sbehN3FxqO

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) July 7, 2023

On its part, the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine has expressed deep sorrow over the loss of two of its members, Hamza Maqbool and Khairy Shaheen, from Nablus. In a statement released today, the group has stressed that the blood of the martyrs will only strengthen their determination for revenge. “This blood that adorns the confrontation arenas along the valiant West Bank will ignite more fuel for revenge and revenge to deter the enemy,” the statement reads. The group further extended its condolences to the families of the two martyrs and the people of Nablus. It pledged to continue its jihadist role until freedom and salvation are achieved.

The assassination of the two young Palestinians has sparked outrage among Palestinians while human rights organizations have called for an independent investigation into the incident. The Israeli occupation forces have been accused of using excessive and indiscriminate force against unarmed Palestinian protestors.

Source: Palestine Today (translated by Al-Manar English Website team)

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The Third Intifada: A new chapter in the Palestinian struggle for liberation

June 29 2023

Photo Credit: The Cradle

As resistance activities intensify across the West Bank, indicating another potential uprising with similar causes as the previous two intifadas, the evolving armed resistance suggests a heightened level of sophistication and adaptability among the resistance groups.

By Ali Abou Jbara

The occupied Palestinian territories have undergone a series of significant changes since last year, with the most notable being the escalation of resistance operations in the occupied West Bank. This development has transformed the territory into a frontline between Palestinian resistance and the Israeli occupation state, reminiscent of the atmosphere during the Second Intifada over two decades ago.

That the occupation army has reactivated its assassination policy through targeted air strikes against resistance figures has solidified this line of argument.

The question that has been circulating for some time now is whether this signifies the onset of a third Palestinian intifada. Alternatively, a more realistic inquiry would be to determine when exactly the current uprising began.

Following the battle of Sayf al-Quds (“Sword of Jerusalem”) in May 2021, the frequency and organization of resistance attacks significantly increased. What initially started as individual actions by Palestinian youth groups evolved into coordinated operations supported by various resistance factions across the West Bank.

Growing support for another Palestinian uprising

The intensification of resistance operations led to over 28 Israeli deaths by the middle of 2023, in comparison to 31 deaths the previous year. This dealt a significant blow to the government of Benjamin Netanyahu, who, alongside his far-right allies, boasted during their election campaign that only they could prevent such attacks. However, the passage of time proved otherwise for “Mr. Security” (as Netanyahu is often referred to).

On 20 June, 2023, four Israelis were killed near the illegal Eli settlement in the West Bank. Just a day earlier, during the storming of the Jabriyat neighborhood in the Jenin refugee camp, a booby-trapped device exploded, injuring seven Israeli soldiers. The operation, claimed by the Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), compelled the Israeli army to deploy combat helicopters for the first time since the Battle of Jenin in 2002.

Israeli Channel 14 published statistics on the first six months of 2023. The report claims that 147 operations took place in the occupied West Bank against the occupation forces and settlers, 80 percent of them (120 operations) shooting operations. As for the entirety of 2022, a total of 202 operations were carried out, 74% of which (150 operations) involved the use of firearms.

Meanwhile, the year 2021 witnessed 117 operations in total, 51% of which (60 operations) were carried out with firearms. In just one week of June 2013, 15 shootings were recorded in the occupied West Bank.

The numbers clearly indicate that resistance operations in the occupied territories have been on the rise, along with the percentage of the usage of firearms.

Aside from resistance developments on the ground, Palestinian public sentiment also suggests another intifada is imminent. In March, an opinion poll conducted by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research revealed a significant increase in the percentage of individuals supporting armed confrontations and an intifada.

Just over 60 percent in the West Bank expected the outbreak of a third armed intifada, while almost 70 percent expressed support for the formation of resistance factions, such as the Nablus-based Lions’ Den.

Another 70 percent of respondents also felt that “punitive measures” by the occupation forces against Palestinians would lead to further escalations and retaliatory attacks against Israeli soldiers and settlers.

Under the current extremist Israeli government, attacks against Palestinians have surged, exemplified by recent assaults by settlers on the towns of Turmusaya and Huwara. These attacks resulted in the death of two Palestinians and the destruction of numerous homes and vehicles, all under the watchful eye of the Israeli occupation forces.

This intifada will be different

Over the past year, the Israeli occupation forces killed 167 Palestinians in Jerusalem and the West Bank, 50 in the Gaza Strip, and four in the occupied Palestinian territories. The grim reality continues for Palestinian prisoners, with approximately 4,700 individuals, including more than 500 Jerusalemites, enduring harsh and inhumane detention conditions.

Among them, about 700 are suffering from various illnesses, and tragically, four prisoners have lost their lives due to the occupation’s policy of medical negligence. Furthermore, the year 2022 witnessed the arrest of 7,000 Palestinians, including 850 children and 160 women.

On the other side of the conflict, the number of settlers killed in Palestinian resistance attacks has risen to 31 this year, a significant increase compared to 5 in 2019, 3 in 2020, and 4 in 2021. This surge in Israeli casualties evokes memories of 2002, when the Israeli army launched Operation Defensive Wall in the West Bank in an attempt to suppress resistance and quell martyrdom operations.

The Israeli Prime Minister at the time, war criminal Ariel Sharon, dubbed the month of March as “black,” when 105 Israelis were killed, including 26 soldiers, in martyrdom operations. Under the illusion of ending the Al-Aqsa Intifada (which he provoked in the first place by visiting the mosque’s compound), Sharon gave the green light for an invasion of the West Bank.

According to Daoud Shehab, a spokesperson for the PIJ, there have been attempts in the West Bank to extinguish the national spirit and create a new generation that embraces coexistence with the occupation and normalizes its presence. However, these efforts have proven unsuccessful. Shehab tells The Cradle that, “Today, it has been proven that all these attempts failed.”

In a March report by Reuters, it was argued that any new Palestinian uprising will be completely different from previous ones, as it will be disconnected from traditional Palestinian leadership, yet informed about Palestinian suffering through social media.

The report highlighted the escalation of “spontaneous” armed attacks in the West Bank against the occupation forces and settlers, the endeavor of some young people to announce their affiliation with Palestinian factions, and the emergence of armed groups such as the Lions’ Den and Jenin Brigade are all indications that something out of the ordinary is happening.

The Nablus-Jenin nexus

The Lions’ Den has garnered widespread popular support, transforming into more than just a group of individuals. It has become an idea that unites Palestinian across political parties and affiliations. Together with the Jenin Brigade, these groups pose a significant threat to the Israeli army, which can no longer storm Nablus and Jenin without encountering armed resistance.

Moreover, both groups have transitioned from a defensive stance to an offensive one – taking the initiative in attacking occupation checkpoints and settlements surrounding the two cities in an unprecedented manner not seen since the Second Intifada.

Confrontations with enemy soldiers have evolved beyond gunfire, now involving the use of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), raising serious concerns among the Israeli army and the Shin Bet security service. On 14 March, Haaretz newspaper reported the growing unease within the army and Shin Bet regarding the rising attempts to manufacture local IEDs:

“During the second intifada, in the first years of this century, terrorist groups in the West Bank and Gaza Strip were intensively involved in preparing explosive charges and explosive belts, which were the most lethal and effective weapons against Israel.”

Despite operating under siege and facing numerous challenges, the resistance groups have succeeded in transforming the occupied West Bank into a battlefield where the occupation army faces attrition.

The De-facto Intifada

Under the current Israeli government, the Palestinian people’s awareness of the occupation’s plans for Judaization and settlement is growing, along with their determination to confront the far-right.

On 13 March 2023, the spokesman for the Al-Quds Brigades, Abu Hamza, called for a renewed intifada, stating:

“We call on all the fighters among our people and the free people in the West Bank and in Israel to mobilize for this war, so that there will be an overall intifada that will create the basis for the end of our enemy and its expulsion from all of Palestine.”

Hamas refugee affairs official Issam Adwan agrees on the likelihood of another uprising, informing The Cradle that “the people are the ones who resist and the pace will increase … neither the Palestinian Authority [PA] nor the Israeli occupation will be able to curb it.”

Developments are not restricted to the situation on the ground – Israel sends political messages to the Palestinian people, from which one can understand that the only option to liberate the land is through ‘revolutionary violence.’

In addition to the continuation of building settlements and the seizure of Palestinian property in Jerusalem and the West Bank, Hebrew media revealed on 26 June 2023 that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu informed the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee in the Knesset that the idea of a Palestinian state must be “eradicated.”

His statement expresses the systematic Israeli policy towards the Palestinians for 3 decades – that the only option before them is to surrender. But recent events have revealed that the Palestinian people reject kneeling.

In February, CIA Director William Burns expressed his concern over the situation in the West Bank resembling the prelude to the second Palestinian intifada, signaling Washington’s apprehension about the Palestinian Authority losing control. He stated that the CIA is working in coordination with the PA and Israel to achieve stability.

However, it is not necessary for the current circumstances to resemble those preceding the previous two intifadas for them to be labeled as such. Clear distinctions existed between the first and second intifadas. The first, which erupted in December 1987, started as a popular struggle primarily characterized by stone-throwing incidents and became known as the “Stone-throwing Uprising.”

In contrast, the Second Intifada involved armed acts of resistance, whether in Gaza, the West Bank, or through special operations in the 1948 territories. It witnessed the participation of both the public and the Palestinian resistance factions, along with a significant portion of the official PA apparatus.

Israel closely monitors the developments in the Palestinian landscape and is deeply concerned about the level of confrontation with the occupation. The “Intifada of Knives” that emerged in 2015 has transformed into acts of resistance that are affecting Israelis across all of Palestine. While a precise name for the current situation may not yet exist, it is evident that a new uprising is in the making – and its true nature will become clearer with time.

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

Israeli Human Rights Violations in Palestine (Weekly Update 15-21 June 2023)

22.06. 2023

Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Weekly Update 15-21 June 2023)

Violation of right to life and bodily integrity:

15 Palestinians, including 7 civilians, amongst them a girl, were killed, and 116 others, including 18 children and a journalist, were injured, while dozens of others suffocated and sustained bruises in Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)’s attacks in the West Bank, where IOF warplanes launched airstrikes for the first time in 20 years.  Details are as follows:

On 15 June 2023, Khalil Yehia (20), a member of the Palestinian armed groups, was killed and another Palestinian was injured in clashes with IOF that accompanied their incursion into Nablus and demolition of a house belonging to Palestinian prisoner Osama ‘Alaa al-Taweel.

On 19 June 2023, 5 Palestinians, including 3 civilians, amongst them a child, were killed, and 91 others were injured, mostly civilians, amongst them 15 children, a journalist, and 23 in serious condition. On 20 June 2023, one of the wounded succumbed to his injury. (Details available in PCHR’s press release.) Also, Sadeel Ghasan Naghnighyia Turkman (15) died 2 days after sustaining a bullet injury in the head. Sadeel’s father said to PCHR’s fieldworker that IOF opened fire at his daughter from 120 meters while she was in the house yard photographing military vehicles’ incursion into the area, wounding her with a live bullet in her head. Sadeeel was evacuated in serious condition to Jenin Governmental Hospital, where she stayed until her death was announced in the morning of 21 June 2023.

On the same day, Zakariyia Zaghloul (20) was shot dead by IOF during clashes that broke out in Bethlehem. (Details available in PCHR’s press release.)

On 20 June 2023, in a crime of extrajudicial execution, IOF shot dead Khaled Mostafa Sabbah (24), from Nablus, at point-blank after intercepting a taxi carrying him on Tubas-Jenin main street. Also, the taxi driver sustained injuries. Later, IOF announced that Sabbah was the second perpetrator of the shooting attack in “Eli” settlement, southeast of Nablus, that took place few hours earlier, killing 4 Israeli settlers and injuring others. It is worth noting that the first perpetrator was identified as Mohannad Faleh Shehadeh (25), from Nablus, and killed in the attack.

On 21 June 2023, Omar Hashem Jabara (25) was killed, and 11 other Palestinians were injured when IOF opened fire while protecting dozens of Israeli settlers who conducted widescale attacks and retaliatory acts in Turmus ‘Ayya village in Ramallah. (Details available in PCHR’s press release).

On 21 June 2023, in a new crime of extrajudicial execution, IOF killed 3 members of Palestinian armed groups, including a child, after IOF warplanes targeted a white Tucson SUV carrying them near al-Jalamah Crossing, north of Jenin. PCHR’s fieldworker said that IOF prevented Palestinian ambulance crews from approaching the targeted vehicle and allowed the civil defense crew to put out the fire that broke out in the vehicle. They then pulled out three charred bodies from the vehicle and took them to an unknown destination. Later, the IOF pulled the vehicle to al-Jalamah Crossing. Those killed were identified as: Suhaib ‘Adnan al-Ghoul (28), Mohammed Bashar ‘Owais (27), and Ashraf Murad al-Sa’di (17). This was the first time IOF used their warplanes to carry out assassinations in the West Bank in 18 years. IOF Spokesperson claimed, “there is a precise surgery happening now to eradicate a terrorist threat.”

Meanwhile, those injured were victims of excessive use of force that accompanied IOF incursions into cities and villages, or suppression of peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians.

On 16 June 2023, 3 Palestinians, including a child, were shot with rubber-coated bullets during IOF’s suppression of Kafr Qaddum weekly peaceful protest in Qalqilya.

On the same day, 2 Palestinians, including a journalist, were injured with live bullets fired by IOF in clashes in Beit Ummar village in Hebron.

On 17 June 2023, a Palestinian was shot with a live bullet in his hand by IOF during their incursion into Silat al-Harithiya village, west of Jenin. Also, several bullets fired by IOF hit an electricity transformer and cut the electricity in the camp.

On the same day, a child sustained live bullet shrapnel injuries in his thigh by IOF in clashes near a military checkpoint established by IOF at the entrance to al-‘Arroub refugee camp in Hebron.

On 19 June 2023, a child was injured with 2 rubber-coated bullets in his neck and chest during clashes with IOF that accompanied their incursion into eastern Beit Furik village in Nablus.

On 20 June 2023, a Palestinian was shot with a live bullet in his right foot in clashes with IOF that followed their incursion into Far’a refugee camp, south of Tubas. In the evening, 3 Palestinians were injured with live bullets when IOF opened fire at them to protect the Israeli settlers who conducted attacks in Al-Lubban ash-Sharqiya village in Nablus. Also, a Palestinian was shot with a live bullet in his foot during clashes with IOF at Husan village’s entrance in Bethlehem.

In the Gaza Strip, at least 4 IOF shootings were reported on agricultural lands in the eastern Gaza Strip and one on fishing boats off the western Gaza shores, where Israeli gunboats pumped water at a Palestinian fishing boat, damaging its engine and ripping the fishing nets.

So far in 2023, IOF attacks have killed 173 Palestinians, including 87 civilians; amongst them 27 children, 6 women, a person with disability, and the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups, including 3 children, 7 killed by settlers, and two died in Israeli prisons. Meanwhile, 818 Palestinians, including 127 children, 26 women and 15 journalists, were injured in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Land razing, demolitions, notices and settlement

IOF demolished 10 housing units and destroyed 3 facilities and other property in the oPt, displacing 46 persons, including 23 children and 10 women. Details are as follows:

On 15 June 2023, IOF dismantled 4 barracks and uprooted 4 residential tents in northern Jordan Valleys, east of Tubas, under the pretext of illegal construction in Area (C). As a result, 4 families of 16, including 4 women and 5 children, were displaced.

On the same day, IOF demolished Maher Zarina’s 150-sqm house in Beit Jala village, west of Bethlehem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction. The house sheltered 2 women.

IOF handed a cease-construction notice to 2 houses in western Shuyukh al-‘Arrub village in Hebron, under the pretext of illegal construction in Area (C). Also, IOF handed 7 eviction notices to 19 dunums in the same village, under the pretext of being state lands. It should be mentioned noting that these dunums house, a water well, a house, stone chains, and various crops.

On 18 June 2023, the Israeli government approved a decision allowing the Israeli Minister of Finance, one of the “Regavim” settlement organization founders and head of the Religious Zionist Party, to issue preliminary approval for planning and building in the Israeli settlements in addition to shortening settlements expansion procedures. The Israeli “Kan” radio station said that upon this decision, construction plans in the settlements will be approved without needing the approval of Israel’s top political echelons, contrary to the status quo for the last 25 years.

On 19 June 2023, IOF demolished 3 animal facilities built of tinplate in Qalandia in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of building in Area C.

On the same day, IOF handed 10 cease-construction notices to a house, buildings, rooms, and a street in eastern Yatta in Hebron, under the pretext of unlicensed construction in Area (C).

On 20 June 2023, the Israeli municipality demolished a 2-storey residential building in Silwan village in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction, rendering 2 families of 15, including 2 women and 11 children, homeless. The building belonged to two brothers, namely Wafi and Bahjat al-Taweel.

On the same day, IOF forced Nasri al-Rajbi to implement the Israeli municipal order and self-demolish his 90-sqm house in Beit Hanina village in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction, rendering his family of 7, including 5 children, homeless. 

On 21 June 2023, IOF demolished a 120-sqm apartment built of fortified tin and belonging to Ziyad Abu Sbitan in al-Tur neighborhood in occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.

IOF also demolished a retaining fence surrounding a plot of land in Sho’afat refugee camp, occupied East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.

Since the beginning of 2023, IOF have made 104 families homeless, a total of 651 persons, including 138 women and 298 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 110 houses and housing units; 26 were forcibly self-demolished by their owners and 12 were demolished on grounds of collective punishment. IOF also demolished 89 other civilian objects, razed other property, and delivered dozens of notices of demolition and cease-construction in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

Demolitions on grounds of collective punishment

On 15 June 2023, IOF destroyed a residential unit belonging to the family of the Palestinian detainee Osama ‘Alaa Al-Taweel in Nablus, as part of IOF’s collective punishment policy against Palestinian families of those accused of carrying out attacks against IOF and/or settlers. PCHR’s fieldworker reported that IOF moved into Nablus, broke into a 5-storery house belonging to Al-Taweel family, and forced out its residents that included 8 families of 37, amongst them 10 women and 14 children, in addition to 10 other families from nearby houses amid firing of tear gas canisters and stun grenades to entice fear among them and prevent them from approaching the area. During the raid, IOF implanted explosives on the 4^th floor of the house and remotely detonated it, destroying the 165-sqm floor that housed a family of 6, including two children. It is noteworthy that IOF arrested Osama Al-Taweel on 13 February 2023 after he was shot with three live bullets in the abdomen and thighs and accused of carrying out an attack that killed an Israeli soldier on 11 October 2022.

On 21 June 2023, IOF raided the family houses of Mohannad Shehadeh and Khaleh Sabah, who were killed after carrying out a shooting attack that killed 4 settlers the day before in the village of ‘Orif in Nablus. IOF took measurements of the two houses in preparation for demolition, as part of IOF’s collective punishment policy against Palestinian families of those carrying out attacks against IOF and settlers. Before IOF’s withdrawal, the latter arrested 6 Palestinians, including 2 children.

Since the beginning of the year, IOF destroyed 12 houses on grounds of collective punishment.

Settler-attacks and retaliatory acts

On 16 June 2023, settlers from the Ma’on settlement established on the lands of Hebron attacked shepherds in eastern Yatta, denied them access to the pastures in their lands that are under the Israeli settlers’ control after the establishment of the pastoral settlement outpost “Mtsad Yehuda”.

On 17 June 2023, settlers from Tafouh settlement, established on the lands of Yasuf village, east of Salfit, stole 10 sheep from a barn in the village and killed a watchdog.

On 20 June 2023, settlers carried out widescale attacks and retaliatory acts across the West Bank, following a shooting attack that killed 4 settlers in Eli settlement between Nablus and Ramallah. Details are as follows:

Four Palestinians, including one with his wife and daughter, were injured after settlers threw stones at the Palestinian vehicles near the entrance to Yasuf town, east of Salfit, carrying out riots on the roads and breaking windows of a vehicle.

A child sustained injuries after a settler who was riding a bike near the entrance to Al-Laban Al-Sharqiya village in Nablus. Later, settlers marched towards the village, and reached As-Sawiya High School, chanting “Death to Arabs”. They threw stones at the school and houses, set fire to two car workshops, attacked commercial facilities with stones, and burned 5 vehicles completely.

On 21 June 2023, at dawn, settlers attacked a Palestinian house in the town of Kafr Al-Dik, west of Salfit, by smashing its windows, setting a tractor ablaze, and stealing an electric bike.

In the evening, dozens of settlers, protected by IOF, carried out widescale attacks and retaliatory acts in the town of Turmusaya in Ramallah, and burned dozens of homes and vehicles. (Details available in PCHR’s press release).

Since the beginning of the year, settlers have conducted at least 252 attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property. As a result, 7 Palestinians were killed, and dozens of others were injured; most of them due to 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 198 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, 69 Palestinians were arrested, including 14 children and a woman.

So far in 2023, IOF have conducted 4,803 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 2,696 Palestinians were arrested, including 26 women and 318 children.  Also, IOF arrested 39 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip including 17 fishermen, 19 infiltrators into Israel, and 3 travelers at Erez Crossing. IOF also conducted 17 incursions.

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

Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 16-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 106 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and arrested 2 Palestinians at those checkpoints.

On 20 June 2023, IOF closed Marah Rabah village’s entrance, south of Bethlehem, to vehicles’ movement in and out.

So far in 2023, IOF have established 2,862 temporary military checkpoints and arrested 131 Palestinians at those checkpoints.

MbS to Blinken: ‘No’ to Israeli normalization, ‘yes’ to Syrian reconciliation

JUN 16, 2023

Israel is concerned about increased weapons proliferation among Palestinian resistance groups, focusing on smuggling from Jordan. However, these weapons may be coming from a source ‘closer to home.’

Qassem Qassem

On 22 April, Israeli occupation authorities apprehended Jordanian parliamentarian Imad al-Adwan at the Allenby Bridge crossing. But this was no ordinary arrest. Adwan was caught attempting to smuggle an astonishing cache of over 200 guns and bags of gold into the occupied-Palestinian West Bank.

Adwan’s audacious actions have reignited Israel’s long-held fears that Palestinian resistance factions in the West Bank could acquire a significant arsenal of firearms from across the border with Jordan. Yet the notion of such a daring endeavor is implausible and fraught with risks.

The resistance is more likely to simply purchase black market arms from sources within 1948-occupied Palestine (Israel), especially given its greater access to funds from supporters in the Iran-led Axis of Resistance. The Iranian leadership has previously vowed to arm West Bank resistance factions, just as they have done for their Gaza-based counterparts.

MP Adwan, who is a member of the Jordanian parliament’s Palestine committee and has previously spoken out against Israel’s routine aggression against Palestinians and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, is no stranger to Israeli intelligence.

The Shin Bet said that since February 2022, Adwan had used his diplomatic passport 12 times to smuggle various goods, including “birds, pigeons, electronic cigarettes and gold,” and in 2023, had begun smuggling weapons “out of greed and received large sums of money.”

Local vs. smuggled weapons

A researcher at the Jerusalem Institute for Public Relations retired General Yossi Kuperwasser, confirmed that this is not the first time that Adwan has transferred weapons to the occupied West Bank.

Kuperwasser hinted that Adwan’s arrest was based on intelligence information from the Jordanian side and that the Jordanian authorities did not arrest him, so as to avoid arousing the anger of Adwan’s clan, who have since hailed him as a “brave patriot.”

According to Yedioth Ahronoth journalist Jackie Khoji, the members of this clan are spread out on “the borders with Israel, and they can turn this region into a hotspot.”

Over the past two years alone, Israeli border guards have intercepted 1,600 weapons destined for the occupied Palestinian territories, all originating from Jordan. Despite the strenuous efforts of both Israeli and Jordanian security forces to fortify their borders, the weapons continued to flow, leaving them grappling with unanswered questions: Where were these weapons originating from? Who were the intended recipients? What were they to be used for? And how much did they cost?

Israeli security and military services are aware that some of the weapons entering the West Bank end up in the hands of clans or organized criminal gangs among Palestinians with Israeli citizenship. However, most concerning are the weapons that end up in the arsenal of the resistance factions.

This has prompted the Israeli army to carry out numerous recent military operations in the Aqabat Jabr camp in the east of the West Bank, to arrest wanted persons, confiscate weapons, and dismantle bomb-making laboratories and resistance infrastructure.

In a report by Arab News last year, Ismat Mansour, a writer on Israeli affairs, claimed that the smuggled weapons mostly go to families for use in internal conflicts, in addition to the armed militias of some sections of the Fatah movement in preparation for the time when Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas finally steps down:

“These weapons are mostly light and the Palestinians do not use them in their attacks against the Israelis as they use locally manufactured weapons such as ‘Carlo’ and ‘M16’ rifles coming from Israel through weapons dealers.”

Escalating Palestinian operations in the West Bank

In past years, arms smuggling to the occupied West Bank has increased from Iraq and Syria via Jordan, as well as across the Lebanese borders and from the occupied Palestinian territories.

According to the Israeli Walla! news site: “The Syrian border is witnessing a concentration of smuggling of Soviet weapons such as the Kalashnikov, while the Jordanian border is being used to smuggle western and American weapons. This phenomenon is growing. Ronen Calvon, commander of the [Israeli] defense unit in the southern region, warned that we are facing a strategic threat that requires joint action from all the state’s security and military agencies.”

“The huge stockpile of firearms in Judea and Samaria is intolerable.” This is how Lilac Shoval, a military correspondent for the Israel Hayom newspaper, described the situation in the occupied West Bank. Because some of these weapons are used to launch attacks against settlers and occupation soldiers, the Israeli army is making plans to “clean up” some cities and camps in the northern West Bank.

The Kan radio station also quoted “senior officials in the army and the Shin Bet as saying that there is no choice. The army is about to carry out a large-scale operation in the northern West Bank.”

“Despite the army’s intelligence activity and the increase in arrests and assassinations, the pace of Palestinian operations in the northern West Bank continues to increase,” said Elior Halevy, military affairs analyst for Kan.

Evolving resistance tactics

The Israelis are aware that significant changes have taken place in the West Bank with far-reaching implications. Palestinian Authority (PA) control over cities and camps has weakened, and the economic situation has deteriorated, while the control of the Zionist religious right over the Israeli government, and the number of settlers, who have become more aggressive, have increased.

Facing this grim reality, throwing stones or Molotov cocktails is no longer an ideal resistance tactic, and knives are no longer the main tool for carrying out operations against the occupation. This new Palestinian generation has moved on to acquiring and using weapons despite their exorbitant prices.

The use of firearms to carry out attacks against the occupation soldiers and illegal settlers has impacted the army’s performance. Almost every raid against any of the West Bank cities is now accompanied by an armed clash with the resistance fighters in response.

According to figures from the Shin Bet, 2022 witnessed an increase in the number of attacks compared to 2021. Despite Operation Breakwater, which was carried out by the army and the Shin Bet security service last year to thwart resistance attacks, Elisha Ben Kimon indicated in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper that “1,570 operations took place in the West Bank in 2021, in which 18 settlers were killed and 196 others injured, compared to 1933 attacks in 2022, which killed 29 soldiers and settlers and wounded about 128 others.”

The increase in Israeli casualties is due to the development of the type of weapons used: from stabbing with knives and run-over operations with cars during the “knives intifada” in 2015, to automatic weapons today.

Rising prices

Yedioth Ahronoth reported late last year that the Israeli security services do not have accurate information about the number of rifles and weapons in the West Bank. It added that years of “calm and economic privileges” had allowed a large number of Palestinians from various regions of the West Bank to obtain personal weapons, including pistols, M16 and Kalashnikov rifles, and even Israeli-made Tavor rifles.

It pointed out that most of the “weapons, with the exception of the northern regions of the West Bank, Nablus, and Jenin, are not directed against Israelis and settlers at present, and are used in local disputes.”

The Israeli army’s measures to control arms smuggling have led to a massive increase in prices compared to those in neighboring countries. The price of the original M4 rifle is about $30,000 (between $4,500 and $6,000 in Lebanon), and the Kalashnikov assault rifle (AK47) is $20,000 (less than $750 in Lebanon).

An old M16 rifle sells for about $16,000 (between $1,200 and $1,600 in Lebanon), and the fourth and fifth generations of Glock pistols cost $15,000 (roughly $2,000 in the US and Europe), while the demand for the locally-manufactured Carlo rifle is less due to its many faults.

The high profits generated by this trade (upwards of 700 percent) leads to an increase in attempts to smuggle weapons. However, it is important to note that the majority of arms dealers buy weapons from the Israeli black market through organized theft of weapons and ammunition from army bases.

Arming the Resistance

However, smuggling weapons to the West Bank and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories is not a purely commercial affair. In 2014, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Khamenei, called for the arming of the West Bank “as the only solution to confront this brutal entity,” suggesting a strong will to transfer weapons to the West Bank.

In this context, the northern front with Lebanon is witnessing large-scale arms transfers, in terms of quantity or high quality, in preparation for the “zero hour.” According to a report last year by Israeli Channel 12, Israeli police concluded that Hezbollah had decided, after the Dignity Strike in the occupied territories in 2021, to flood Israel with light weapons, such as pistols and machine guns, in preparation for the moment of confrontation.

The channel revealed that the anti-terrorism unit of the Israeli police, Yamar, has since monitored an increase in attempts to smuggle weapons from Jordan and Lebanon. Yaron Ben Yishai of the intelligence department in the Yamar unit in the Northern Command said, “Hezbollah directs 95 percent of the smuggling operations through Lebanon.”

Where there’s a will, there’s a way

Likewise, the means of smuggling weapons have become increasingly sophisticated. Last February, Jordanian border guards shot down a drone that tried to cross the border with Syria, in which an “M4 rifle and 4 bombs were found. The drone was booby-trapped to explode if caught.”

Although Israel has failed to stop the smuggling of arms to the resistance factions in the West Bank, it has succeeded in restricting transportation routes, which in turn has caused a significant increase in prices.

This led to the adoption of different methods, such as the provision of finances to buy weapons domestically from arms dealers. This is the Israeli explanation for the large amount of gold confiscated from the Jordanian MP.

Similarly, the PA authorities arrested Musab Shtayyeh in Nablus in September 2022 on charges of transferring funds from Hamas to the Lions’ Den resistance group. At the beginning of this month, the Israeli army arrested a person under the pretext of transferring money from Hamas to resistance fighters in Jenin.

As a result, Israel has tightened its siege on the West Bank in a desperate attempt to stifle the growth of military capabilities within the resistance factions. However, these factions, determined and resourceful, continue to evolve in their tactics to ensure a steady supply of weapons.

The prevailing trajectory seems to be leading Israel towards a pivotal crossroads, one that may necessitate a “final solution” in the form of a large-scale military campaign in the northern West Bank. Such a drastic move would undoubtedly carry severe consequences for the Israeli army, raising the stakes to an alarming level, as the occupation state now faces threats from multiple fronts.

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

Weapons of the West Bank resistance: Where do they come from?

June 16 2023

Israel is concerned about increased weapons proliferation among Palestinian resistance groups, focusing on smuggling from Jordan. However, these weapons may be coming from a source ‘closer to home.’

Photo Credit: The Cradle

By Qassem Qassem

On 22 April, Israeli occupation authorities apprehended Jordanian parliamentarian Imad al-Adwan at the Allenby Bridge crossing. But this was no ordinary arrest. Adwan was caught attempting to smuggle an astonishing cache of over 200 guns and bags of gold into the occupied-Palestinian West Bank.

Adwan’s audacious actions have reignited Israel’s long-held fears that Palestinian resistance factions in the West Bank could acquire a significant arsenal of firearms from across the border with Jordan. Yet the notion of such a daring endeavor is implausible and fraught with risks.

The resistance is more likely to simply purchase black market arms from sources within 1948-occupied Palestine (Israel), especially given its greater access to funds from supporters in the Iran-led Axis of Resistance. The Iranian leadership has previously vowed to arm West Bank resistance factions, just as they have done for their Gaza-based counterparts.

MP Adwan, who is a member of the Jordanian parliament’s Palestine committee and has previously spoken out against Israel’s routine aggression against Palestinians and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, is no stranger to Israeli intelligence.

The Shin Bet said that since February 2022, Adwan had used his diplomatic passport 12 times to smuggle various goods, including “birds, pigeons, electronic cigarettes and gold,” and in 2023, had begun smuggling weapons “out of greed and received large sums of money.”

Local vs. smuggled weapons

A researcher at the Jerusalem Institute for Public Relations retired General Yossi Kuperwasser, confirmed that this is not the first time that Adwan has transferred weapons to the occupied West Bank.

Kuperwasser hinted that Adwan’s arrest was based on intelligence information from the Jordanian side and that the Jordanian authorities did not arrest him, so as to avoid arousing the anger of Adwan’s clan, who have since hailed him as a “brave patriot.”

According to Yedioth Ahronoth journalist Jackie Khoji, the members of this clan are spread out on “the borders with Israel, and they can turn this region into a hotspot.”

Over the past two years alone, Israeli border guards have intercepted 1,600 weapons destined for the occupied Palestinian territories, all originating from Jordan. Despite the strenuous efforts of both Israeli and Jordanian security forces to fortify their borders, the weapons continued to flow, leaving them grappling with unanswered questions: Where were these weapons originating from? Who were the intended recipients? What were they to be used for? And how much did they cost?

Israeli security and military services are aware that some of the weapons entering the West Bank end up in the hands of clans or organized criminal gangs among Palestinians with Israeli citizenship. However, most concerning are the weapons that end up in the arsenal of the resistance factions.

This has prompted the Israeli army to carry out numerous recent military operations in the Aqabat Jabr camp in the east of the West Bank, to arrest wanted persons, confiscate weapons, and dismantle bomb-making laboratories and resistance infrastructure.

In a report by Arab News last year, Ismat Mansour, a writer on Israeli affairs, claimed that the smuggled weapons mostly go to families for use in internal conflicts, in addition to the armed militias of some sections of the Fatah movement in preparation for the time when Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas finally steps down:

“These weapons are mostly light and the Palestinians do not use them in their attacks against the Israelis as they use locally manufactured weapons such as ‘Carlo’ and ‘M16’ rifles coming from Israel through weapons dealers.”

Escalating Palestinian operations in the West Bank

In past years, arms smuggling to the occupied West Bank has increased from Iraq and Syria via Jordan, as well as across the Lebanese borders and from the occupied Palestinian territories.

According to the Israeli Walla! news site: “The Syrian border is witnessing a concentration of smuggling of Soviet weapons such as the Kalashnikov, while the Jordanian border is being used to smuggle western and American weapons. This phenomenon is growing. Ronen Calvon, commander of the [Israeli] defense unit in the southern region, warned that we are facing a strategic threat that requires joint action from all the state’s security and military agencies.”

“The huge stockpile of firearms in Judea and Samaria is intolerable.” This is how Lilac Shoval, a military correspondent for the Israel Hayom newspaper, described the situation in the occupied West Bank. Because some of these weapons are used to launch attacks against settlers and occupation soldiers, the Israeli army is making plans to “clean up” some cities and camps in the northern West Bank.

The Kan radio station also quoted “senior officials in the army and the Shin Bet as saying that there is no choice. The army is about to carry out a large-scale operation in the northern West Bank.”

“Despite the army’s intelligence activity and the increase in arrests and assassinations, the pace of Palestinian operations in the northern West Bank continues to increase,” said Elior Halevy, military affairs analyst for Kan.

Evolving resistance tactics

The Israelis are aware that significant changes have taken place in the West Bank with far-reaching implications. Palestinian Authority (PA) control over cities and camps has weakened, and the economic situation has deteriorated, while the control of the Zionist religious right over the Israeli government, and the number of settlers, who have become more aggressive, have increased.

Facing this grim reality, throwing stones or Molotov cocktails is no longer an ideal resistance tactic, and knives are no longer the main tool for carrying out operations against the occupation. This new Palestinian generation has moved on to acquiring and using weapons despite their exorbitant prices.

The use of firearms to carry out attacks against the occupation soldiers and illegal settlers has impacted the army’s performance. Almost every raid against any of the West Bank cities is now accompanied by an armed clash with the resistance fighters in response.

According to figures from the Shin Bet, 2022 witnessed an increase in the number of attacks compared to 2021. Despite Operation Breakwater, which was carried out by the army and the Shin Bet security service last year to thwart resistance attacks, Elisha Ben Kimon indicated in the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper that “1,570 operations took place in the West Bank in 2021, in which 18 settlers were killed and 196 others injured, compared to 1933 attacks in 2022, which killed 29 soldiers and settlers and wounded about 128 others.”

The increase in Israeli casualties is due to the development of the type of weapons used: from stabbing with knives and run-over operations with cars during the “knives intifada” in 2015, to automatic weapons today.

Rising prices

Yedioth Ahronoth reported late last year that the Israeli security services do not have accurate information about the number of rifles and weapons in the West Bank. It added that years of “calm and economic privileges” had allowed a large number of Palestinians from various regions of the West Bank to obtain personal weapons, including pistols, M16 and Kalashnikov rifles, and even Israeli-made Tavor rifles.

It pointed out that most of the “weapons, with the exception of the northern regions of the West Bank, Nablus, and Jenin, are not directed against Israelis and settlers at present, and are used in local disputes.”

The Israeli army’s measures to control arms smuggling have led to a massive increase in prices compared to those in neighboring countries. The price of the original M4 rifle is about $30,000 (between $4,500 and $6,000 in Lebanon), and the Kalashnikov assault rifle (AK47) is $20,000 (less than $750 in Lebanon).

An old M16 rifle sells for about $16,000 (between $1,200 and $1,600 in Lebanon), and the fourth and fifth generations of Glock pistols cost $15,000 (roughly $2,000 in the US and Europe), while the demand for the locally-manufactured Carlo rifle is less due to its many faults.

The high profits generated by this trade (upwards of 700 percent) leads to an increase in attempts to smuggle weapons. However, it is important to note that the majority of arms dealers buy weapons from the Israeli black market through organized theft of weapons and ammunition from army bases.

Arming the Resistance

However, smuggling weapons to the West Bank and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories is not a purely commercial affair. In 2014, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ali Khamenei, called for the arming of the West Bank “as the only solution to confront this brutal entity,” suggesting a strong will to transfer weapons to the West Bank.

In this context, the northern front with Lebanon is witnessing large-scale arms transfers, in terms of quantity or high quality, in preparation for the “zero hour.” According to a report last year by Israeli Channel 12, Israeli police concluded that Hezbollah had decided, after the Dignity Strike in the occupied territories in 2021, to flood Israel with light weapons, such as pistols and machine guns, in preparation for the moment of confrontation.

The channel revealed that the anti-terrorism unit of the Israeli police, Yamar, has since monitored an increase in attempts to smuggle weapons from Jordan and Lebanon. Yaron Ben Yishai of the intelligence department in the Yamar unit in the Northern Command said, “Hezbollah directs 95 percent of the smuggling operations through Lebanon.”

Where there’s a will, there’s a way

Likewise, the means of smuggling weapons have become increasingly sophisticated. Last February, Jordanian border guards shot down a drone that tried to cross the border with Syria, in which an “M4 rifle and 4 bombs were found. The drone was booby-trapped to explode if caught.”

Although Israel has failed to stop the smuggling of arms to the resistance factions in the West Bank, it has succeeded in restricting transportation routes, which in turn has caused a significant increase in prices.

This led to the adoption of different methods, such as the provision of finances to buy weapons domestically from arms dealers. This is the Israeli explanation for the large amount of gold confiscated from the Jordanian MP.

Similarly, the PA authorities arrested Musab Shtayyeh in Nablus in September 2022 on charges of transferring funds from Hamas to the Lions’ Den resistance group. At the beginning of this month, the Israeli army arrested a person under the pretext of transferring money from Hamas to resistance fighters in Jenin.

As a result, Israel has tightened its siege on the West Bank in a desperate attempt to stifle the growth of military capabilities within the resistance factions. However, these factions, determined and resourceful, continue to evolve in their tactics to ensure a steady supply of weapons.

The prevailing trajectory seems to be leading Israel towards a pivotal crossroads, one that may necessitate a “final solution” in the form of a large-scale military campaign in the northern West Bank. Such a drastic move would undoubtedly carry severe consequences for the Israeli army, raising the stakes to an alarming level, as the occupation state now faces threats from multiple fronts.

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

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Nablus Showdown: Palestinian Youth Challenge Israeli Forces’ Escalated Aggression

 June 15, 2023

Today, a tragic incident unfolded in the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, as a 20-year-old Palestinian named Khalil Yahya Al-Anis lost his life during clashes with Israeli occupation forces.

Hailing from Al-Ain camp, Al-Anis valiantly stood against the aggression but succumbed to the injuries inflicted by Israeli gunfire.

Reports from medical sources at Al-Najah Hospital in Nablus reveal that two other Palestinian youths were also wounded in the confrontation. One of them remains in critical condition after being struck by live bullets in the head and thighs. This distressing event highlights the ongoing violence and the profound impact it has on the lives of Palestinians in the region.

The Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed that 20-year-old Palestinian Khalil Anees was fatally shot in the head by Israeli occupation forces during a brutal Israeli raid in the occupied West Bank city of Nablus on Thursday morning. pic.twitter.com/o0Sv5vEolC

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) June 15, 2023

In a distressing turn of events, another Palestinian youth was injured in a deeply troubling incident involving an Israeli occupation vehicle, as they were run over. Adding to the alarming situation, approximately 170 individuals, including an infant, experienced the harmful effects of poisonous gas.

Ahmad Jibril, the Director of the Emergency Unit in the Palestinian Red Crescent, expressed his concern, stating that Israeli occupation forces obstructed the efforts of the Red Crescent’s medical staff in reaching the affected homes to provide necessary aid and transfer the injured to the hospital.

Furthermore, the escalation of violence targeted ambulances directly, with one ambulance being attacked with a gas bomb and another coming under fire while attempting to evacuate an emergency case. These distressing incidents underscore the challenging conditions faced by Palestinian civilians and the obstacles encountered by those providing crucial medical assistance in the affected areas.

lsraeli occupation forces prevent Palestinian ambulances from entering Ya’bad where a number of Palestinians have been injured amidst a current raid. pic.twitter.com/BAcvEBL5k0

— TIMES OF GAZA (@Timesofgaza) June 14, 2023

Earlier reports from Palestinian media have revealed that Resistance fighters valiantly confronted an incursion by Israeli occupation forces approaching from multiple directions. Palestinian youths bravely fought back against the incursion, utilizing locally-manufactured explosives as part of their defense strategy. The clashes intensified across various areas of Nablus, as the Israeli occupation forces faced fierce resistance in the form of heavy gunfire from Palestinian fighters.

The Israeli occupation forces have cited the demolition of Osama Taweel’s home as their justification for their military presence in Nablus. Taweel is a Palestinian who has been accused of the alleged killing of an Israeli occupation soldier named Ido Baruch, which occurred last year. This action by the Israeli forces highlights their approach of collective punishment, wherein the family home is targeted as a punitive measure, despite the fact that such actions have been widely criticized for their questionable effectiveness and potential violation of international law.

Nablus is a war zone tonight https://t.co/HodxW45heE pic.twitter.com/AvFTUN5qPB

— Younis Tirawi | يونس (@ytirawi) June 14, 2023

In Pictures: Destruction left behind Israeli occupation forces after blowing up the family house of Palestinian prisoner Osama Taweel in Nablus city during a brutal raid, which lasted for about six hours, as a punitive measure, earlier this morning. pic.twitter.com/VybtTmCB45

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) June 15, 2023

The recent killing of Palestinian youth Fares Hashash has further exacerbated the situation in Nablus. Hashash tragically lost his life during a raid on the Balata camp, carried out by Israeli occupation forces.

Regrettably, the situation in Nablus continues to be marked by tension and instability, as Israeli occupation forces persist in their aggressive actions. These actions not only disregard the lives and well-being of Palestinian civilians but also contribute to the perpetuation of a hostile and volatile environment. The need for a peaceful resolution and the protection of the rights and safety of all individuals involved remains of paramount importance.

Source: Al-Manar English Website

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West Bank Shooting Injures 4 Israelis as Hamas Warns against Ben Gvir Police Bill

June 13, 2023

Israeli medics treating an injured man in a shooting west of Jenin in the West Bank (Tuesday, June 13, 2023).

Injuries were reported among Israelis in the West Bank on Tuesday as Hamas resistance movement warned against a bill that would grant so-called National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir sweeping powers to direct police to take far-ranging actions against suspects who have not been charged with any crime.

Four Israelis were wounded in a shooting attack near the so-called settlement of Mevo Dotan, west of Jenin in the northern West Bank, Israeli media reported, quoting Magen David Adom as saying.

The Jerusalem Post reported that a number of Palestinian shooters fired at a man in his 30s, wounding him, before driving further down the road and shooting three additional Israelis and wounding them lightly.

Balata Refugee Camp Raid

Meanwhile on Tuesday, Two Palestinians were injured as Israeli occupation forces raided Balata refugee camp in Nablus, prompting clashes with local residents.

At least two Palestinians were wounded by Israeli gunfire during the raid, Palestinian Health Ministry said, noting that one was shot in the chest and the other in the elbow and thigh.

BREAKING: Israeli occupation forces attack a besieged house with bombs in Balata refugee camp, north of the occupied West. pic.twitter.com/3ikPbJp9uU

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) June 13, 2023

The two are in stable condition, the Palestinian ministry added.

Israeli occupation forces were surrounding a home in the Balata refugee camp, attacking it with bombs, Palestinian sources reported.

Israeli Provocations in Al-Quds

Meanwhile, Israeli provocations in occupied Al-Quds went ahead, with Zionist settlers performing Jewish songs near Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Colonial Israeli settlers provocatively dance and sing at Bab Al-Silsila, one of the gates of Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque. pic.twitter.com/KJGipKOS5N

— AlQastal News (@QastalNewsEn) June 13, 2023

Ben Gvir Bill

On the other hand, Hamas resistance movement denounced the Israeli bill that would allow Ben Gvir to impose renewable detention orders for up to six months at a time and restrict suspects’ movements, communications and access to employment or international travel without needing to file charges or to present evidence.

Itamar Ben Gvir attending a session at the Knesset (photo from November 2022).

The bill is aimed at oppressing our people in the occupied territories of 1948, under the pretext of alleged countering crime, Hamas said in a statement.

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

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IOF lured and targeted by the Nablus Brigade, IOF detains Hamas leader

12 Jun 2023

Source: Agencies + Al Mayadeen

By Al Mayadeen English

Israeli Occupation Forces attempt to raid Nablus’ old city but are lured and confronted by the Nablus Brigades of the Al-Quds Brigades, forcing them to withdraw and revert to a detention campaign across the West Bank.

Israel Occupation Forces fire tear gas during confrontations with Palestinians during a raid in the West Bank city of Nablus, Monday, April 3, 2023. (AP)

The Nablus Brigade of the Al-Quds Brigades reported that its Resistance fighters confronted the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) that had “stormed the Old City” of Nablus, from multiple fronts, at dawn Monday. In turn, the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades’ Nablus Brigade reported that they had successfully lured and targeted a unit of the IOF entering from one of the fronts.

In a statement, the Al-Quds Brigades – Nablus Brigade explained that “its Resistance fighters were able to target the occupation forces and their vehicles, with heavy and successive salvoes of bullets and explosive devices, as well as engage in violent confrontations with them on more than one axis.”

The IOF stormed the Old City of Nablus in large numbers since the early morning hours, while local media reported that violent confrontations took place between Resistance fighters and the IOF, which then were forced to withdraw from the city.

In turn, the Nablus Brigade affiliate of the Al-Aqsa Martyr Brigades said in their statement that “Zionist special forces were lured into the Al-Houh area near Al-Qahwa, and the forces were targeted with intense and blessed barrages of bullets, and two explosive devices were detonated among the invading forces.”

A large number of Israeli occupation soldiers broke into the Old City of Nablus, north of the occupied West Bank, last night, according to local sources. pic.twitter.com/ipHr4r2nta

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) June 12, 2023

According to their statement, as well, the Brigade highlighted that this “lure” operation was not the first of its kind and will not be the last noting that they have dubbed it Operation “Hunting Idiots.”

The Nablus Brigade vowed to be “be the horror that follows you [IOF] everywhere.”

In parallel to the Nablus raid, other units of the IOF stormed the Shuafat refugee camp, north of Occupied Al-Quds, as well as the towns of Zababdeh in Jenin and Jifna in Ramallah.

Read more: Waed Association: Israeli Occupation seeks revenge against Walid Daqqa

During the confrontations, a Palestinian was shot and dozens of others suffered from suffocation due to the launching of teargas canisters by the IOF during their raid on the town of Zababdeh, south of Jenin.

Moreover, a detention campaign was launched in the Jalazoun refugee camp in Ramallah and the town of Dura in Al-Khalil. Among the detained was a leader in the Hamas movement, Rizq Rajoub, whom, according to Israeli media had previously spent 28 years in an Israeli prison.

In the same context, the Israeli occupation forces arrested a number of Palestinian youths during their raid into the Dheisheh camp near Beit Lahm, where eyewitnesses reported that a large number of IOF  stormed the camp and stationed themselves at its entrance amid violent confrontations with the Palestinian youths.

Read more: IOF storm section in Al-Naqab prison amid rising tension: Office

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Israeli Oppression against Palestinians in West Bank & Al-Quds Proceeds,Two Zionist Soldiers Injured in Hawara

June 6, 2023

Israeli occupation forces during a night raid in the occupied West Bank (September 6, 2022 / photo by The Jerusalem Post).

The Zionist media reported a car-ramming attack in Hawara town, south of occupied Nablus, adding that two of the Israeli soldiers were injured and that the attacker fled the scene.

Meanwhile, Israeli occupation’s oppression proceeds in several areas across the West Bank and Al-Quds, with Palestinian people confronting the aggression with all possible means.

Occupation forces arrested a large number of Palestinians during raids across the West Bank and Al-Quds in the early hours of Monday.

At dawn on Monday, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stormed homes during a brutal raid in Al-Mughayyir village, near Ramallah, where it arrested 15 young men and injured many others, including a teenager.

The Palestinian Detainees’ Committee said IOF used excessive force while searching the homes and ransacking them, causing damage.

9 other Palestinians were arrested in several raids in towns near Jericho and Bethlehem.

The vandalism inflicted by Israeli occupation forces during a raid last night into a house in Aqabat Jabr refugee camp, in the occupied West Bank city of Jericho. pic.twitter.com/NDWslytkce

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) June 5, 2023

Meanwhile, the IOF continued, for the 20th day in a row, to impose a siege on Al-Mughayyir village. Occupation forces have been since last month blocking the village’s two entrances, prohibiting residents from entering or leaving it. Al-Mughayyir is frequently targeted by illegal Jewish settlers and IOF.

On the other hand, incursions by Zionist settlers proceeded. Palestinian media reported dozens of settlers, backed by IOF, storming the holy compound in occupied Al-Quds.

A Part of settlers’ raiding of Al-Aqsa Mosque this morning pic.twitter.com/cgvtyKrwwC

— AlQastal News (@QastalNewsEn) June 5, 2023

Earlier on Sunday, Barqa town, near Nablus, was subjected to brutal attacks by Israeli settlers, who were backed by IOF. Dozens of Palestinians were injured as masked Zionist settlers attacked Palestinian houses and vehicles.

The settlers came from Homesh, a nearby Israeli settlement outpost which was recently revived at orders from hard-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and rogue Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, after it had been evacuated in 2005.

CCTV footage documenting an attack by masked Israeli Jewish settlers on the Palestinian village of Burqa, north of the occupied West Bank, at sunset yesterday. pic.twitter.com/Yq4IGoqedu

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) June 5, 2023

Palestinian Red Crescent reported that nearly 60 Palestinians were injured as they were confronting the colonial Israeli settlers who were backed by well-armed Israeli soldiers.

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

Al-Aqsa Al-Mughayyir Al-Quds Israel Jericho Nablus Palestine Ramallah West Bank

Two Zionist Soldiers Injured in Heroic Palestinian Op Southern Nablus

June 06, 2023

By Al-Ahed News

Two ‘Israeli’ occupation soldiers were injured on Monday evening in a car ramming operation near the Huwara Checkpoint southern Nablus in the occupied West Bank.

The operation took place as a Palestinian vehicle rammed them near their checkpoint.

According to ‘Israeli’ Channel 12, one of them sustained injuries in his lower limbs, while the other was injured in his pelvic part. Both were transferred to hospital.

Immediately after the operation, the Zionist occupation forces blocked the Zaatara and Huwara checkpoints in the area.

According to ‘Israeli’ media, the vehicle that was involved in the operation managed to flee the scene, and the Zionist military raised alertness, blocking all sub-roads in the town of Huwara.

Israeli Human Rights Violations in Palestine (Weekly Update 25 – 31 May 2023)

 June 1, 2023

Violation of right to life and bodily integrity

2 Palestinians were killed, and 23 others, including 3 children, were wounded, while dozens of others suffocated and sustained bruises in Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)’s attacks in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). Details are as follows:

On 26 May 2023, the Israeli authorities announced the killing of ‘Alaa Khalil Qaysiyah (25) from Hebron, allegedly after Qaysiyah attempted to carry out a stabbing attack inside the “Tineh Amorim” settlement established on the lands of Al-Dhahiriya village.

On 29 May 2023, Ashraf Al-Sheikh Ibrahim (37), an officer in the Palestinian Intelligence Service, was killed, and 5 others were wounded during armed clashes with IOF during the latter’s incursion into Jenin. During which, one of IOF’s military vehicles attacked and pushed an ambulance belonging to Al-Hayat Ambulance Center near Al-Razi Hospital in central Jenin, crashing into two other vehicles and inflicting damage to them. Before their withdrawal, IOF arrested 6 Palestinians.

Meanwhile, those injured were victims of excessive use of force that accompanied IOF incursions into cities and villages, or suppression of peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians.

On 25 May 2023, 14 Palestinians, including two children, were injured during clashes with IOF after the latter’s widescale incursion accompanied by 70 military vehicles and backed by Yamam Special Units, 6 bulldozers and a helicopter in ‘Aqabat Jaber refugee camp, south of Jericho. The incursion included the closure of all main and subsidiary streets with sand berms, and widescale raids of around 40 houses, after blowing up some of their doors and searching their contents. Before their withdrawal, IOF arrested 14 Palestinians.

On 26 May 2023, 2 Palestinians were shot with rubber bullets during IOF’s suppression of Kafr Qaddum weekly peaceful protest against settlements in northern Qalqilya.

On 28 May 2023, 2 Palestinians, including a child, were injured, and another was arrested, during clashes with IOF at the eastern entrance to Al-Mughayyir village, northeast of Ramallah, noting that the entrance was closed before with sand berms.

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

So far in 2023, IOF attacks killed 155 Palestinians, including 77 civilians; amongst them 24 children and 6 women, and the rest were members of the Palestinian armed groups, including 2 children, 7 killed by settlers, and two died in Israeli prisons. Meanwhile, 661 Palestinians, including 103 children, 25 women and 12 journalists, were injured in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Land razing, demolitions, notices and settlement

IOF demolished 4 houses, parts of another house, and 5 facilities in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem. Details are as follows:

On 26 May 2023, IOF gave demolition notices to 2 barracks used as livestock barns in Ithna village in Hebron, under the pretext of unlicensed construction in Area (C).

On 27 May 2023, IOF forced ‘AbdulHaleem Al-Shaloudi to demolish the roof of his 20-sqm kitchen in Silwarn, East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.

On the same day, IOF forced Zaid Al-Salaymeh to demolish his 60-sqm under-construction apartment in Wadi Qaddum neighborhood in East Jerusalem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.

On 29 May 2023, IOF demolished a 150-sqm livestock farm, west of Bethlehem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.

On the same day, IOF dismantled a 20-sqm a commercial kiosk/stall in Al-Walaja village, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.

Also, IOF forced Isaac Al-Hroub to demolish a 70-sqm well and a 3-sqm bathroom of bricks on his land near the annexation wall, west of Deir Samet village in Hebron.

IOF demolished a 200-sqm under-construction house belonging to Ibrahim ‘Ayesh in Artas village, south of Bethlehem, under the pretext of unlicensed construction.

In addition, IOF demolished a 150-sqm house belonging to Nasser Nassar in the airport land, east of Jericho.

On 31 May 2023, IOF handed 18 cease-construction notices in northwestern Deir Ballut village, west of Salfit, including 12 notices to 13 houses, 5 to agricultural rooms, and one to a commercial facility, under the pretext of unlicensed construction in Area (C).

Since the beginning of 2023, IOF have made 88 families homeless, a total of 557 persons, including 112 women and 252 children. This was the outcome of IOF demolition of 95 houses; 22 were forcibly self-demolished by their owners and 10 were demolished on grounds of collective punishment. IOF also demolished 83 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 7 attacks on Palestinians and their property in the West Bank, injuring 11 Palestinians, cutting trees, and burning crops. Details are as follows:

On 26 May 2023, settlers, protected by IOF, threw stones at 5 Palestinians, including a child, and injured them in Sidr area between Turmusaya and A-Mughayer villages in Ramallah. The attack also included burning agricultural crops, 5 civilian vehicles and smashing the windows of 3 vehicles.

On 27 May 2023, settlers, protected by IOF, wounded a Palestinian during their raid into Al-Qaboun and Ras Al-Teen squares, east of Al-Mughayer town in Ramallah. The settlers and IOF raided homes and assaulted citizens through obstructing and searching them.

On the same day, 5 Palestinians, including a man with his wife and daughter, were injured and bruised as settlers assaulted them during the latter’s attack on their land in Bidya, west of Salfit.

On 28 May 2023, settlers cut 18 trees in their attack on Palestinians’ lands in Al-Laban Al-Sharqiya village in Nablus.

On 29 May 2023, settlers brought caravans and heavy equipment, including excavators, bulldozers, and trucks. The settlers placed the caravans in “Homesh” settlement, which is established on the lands of Silat al-Harthiya village, south of Jenin, and Burqa village, north of Nablus. This came upon IOF’s recent decision to return to the settlement, and the settlers announced the establishment of a religious school in the settlement. It is noteworthy that Homesh settlement was evacuated in 2005 as part of IOF’s redeployment plan, during which the Gaza Strip settlements were also completely evacuated along with 4 settlements in Jenin. Recently, the Israeli government has decided to return the settlers to those settlements.

On the same day, settlers set fire to a plot of land planted with wheat and barley in Deir Dabwan village, east of Ramallah, burning 15 dunums.

On 30 May 2023, settlers from “Homesh” settlement, which is established on the village lands of Jenin and Nablus, in the northern West Bank, attacked a house with stones in the Burqa village, north of Nablus, and smashed the rear window of the house owner’s vehicle.

Since the beginning of the year, settlers have conducted at least 214 attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property. As a result, 7 Palestinians were killed, and dozens of others were injured; most of them due to 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 157 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, 81 Palestinians were arrested, including a child. In the Gaza Strip, IOF carried out two limited incursions into eastern Rafah on 29 May 2023, and eastern Khan Yunis on 31 May 2023.

So far in 2023, IOF have conducted 4,241 incursions into the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, during which 2,446 Palestinians were arrested, including 25 women and 285 children.  Also, IOF arrested 34 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip including 12 fishermen and 19 infiltrators into Israel, and 3 travelers at Erez Crossing. IOF also conducted 12 incursions.

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

Israeli occupation maintains its illegal and inhuman 16-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 97 temporary military checkpoints in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, and arrested 2 Palestinians at those checkpoints.

So far in 2023, IOF have established 2,526 temporary military checkpoints and arrested 124 Palestinians at those checkpoints.

More Than 40 Palestinians Injured In ‘Israeli’ Raid on Nablus

May 30, 2023

By Staff, Agencies

The ‘Israeli’ occupation forces stormed a refugee camp on the outskirts of the West Bank city of Nablus on Tuesday, injuring more than 40 Palestinians, local media reported.

Some 46 Palestinians were treated for wounds during the raid on the Askar refugee camp which took place in the predawn hours of Tuesday morning, said Ahmad Jibril, the head of the Emergency and Ambulance Department at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.

The report added that 44 of the injured Palestinians suffered tear gas inhalation.

Palestinian security sources said a large unit of ‘Israeli’ occupation forces broke into the family house of Hasan Qatanani and mapped it out before a planned demolition.

Qatanani was martyred by the Zionist forces earlier this month. The ‘Israeli’ occupation military claimed that he was responsible for the April shooting attack in the Jordan Valley which killed three Zionist settlers.

During the raid, the sources said, the ‘Israeli’ soldiers also broke into several other houses and measured the home of Palestinian martyr Hussam Saleem.

He had allegedly planned and directed a shooting operation by the Nablus-based Palestinian resistance group Lions’ Den that killed a Zionist soldier in the northern West Bank last October.

The regime razes Palestinian homes to punish the family of those who allegedly carried out operations against its occupation forces.

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [OCHA] calls the practice “collective punishment” of Palestinians. The UN agency deems the practice “illegal under international law.”

Additionally, on Tuesday, the occupation forces raided the Nur Shams refugee camp, near the West Bank city of Tulkarm, sparking confrontations with Palestinian resistance fighters.

The ‘Israeli’ military said one of its soldiers was moderately hurt by shrapnel after an explosive device was detonated.

Tensions have been running high in the occupied West Bank over the past year, with the ‘Israeli’ occupation military conducting violent raids under the pretext of detaining what it calls “wanted” Palestinians.

As a result of these attacks, at least 112 Palestinians have lost their lives and many others have been kidnapped.

• ‘Israeli’ Occupation Forces Kill Ex-Palestinian Detainee in West Bank Raid

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.

While people were peacefully sleeping, well-armed Israeli occupation forces savagely stormed and searched at least 60 Palestinian houses during a brutal military raid into Aqabat Jabr refugee camp in Jericho, east of the occupied West Bank. Last night’s raid lasted for about 7… pic.twitter.com/6bsvv7lfMQ

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) May 25, 2023

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.

Video: Well-armed Israeli soldiers savagely force Palestinians to get out of their houses as they stormed and searched at least 60 houses during a brutal military raid into Aqabat Jabr refugee camp in Jericho, east of the occupied West Bank, last night.

Local sources reported… pic.twitter.com/vguNAM0Nxr

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) May 25, 2023

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.

https://twitter.com/BentBladi0/status/1661539318567976961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1661539318567976961%7Ctwgr%5E0d003e0c7b62e8056aedc16ddcc1a835d079449c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fthecradle.co%2Farticle-view%2F25236%2Feight-hour-israeli-raid-leaves-several-wounded-in-jericho

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

Local Palestinian protesters shower Israeli occupation soldiers with stones during an Israeli raid into Al-Jalazon refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, last night. pic.twitter.com/44LzBXeRYL

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) May 24, 2023

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.

Israeli occupation forces carry out bulldozing works in a Palestinian-owned land in the occupied Jerusalem neighborhood of Sur Baher, today. pic.twitter.com/byubENFvrw

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) May 24, 2023

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.

Media coverage: The vandalism left behind Israeli occupation forces last night after savagely storming a vegetable shop in Al-Jalazon refugee camp in the occupied West Bank. pic.twitter.com/aXNZJR0s3x

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) May 24, 2023

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)

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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.

Photos capture the extensive devastation of the home in Nablus's Balata camp, which was subjected to a siege this morning by Israeli occupation forces, firing missiles at it. pic.twitter.com/euqKwcUBUr

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) May 13, 2023

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.

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)

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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.

Israeli military raid on Nablus update: 3 Palestinians killed, 4 injured with live ammunition, 150 suffocate with toxic tear gas. pic.twitter.com/QdhHCpOUnj

— TIMES OF GAZA (@Timesofgaza) May 4, 2023

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.

BREAKING | Media coverage: "The bodies of three Palestinian martyrs were just pulled out from the house that had been attacked, besieged and bombed with missiles by Israeli occupation forces in Nablus’s Old City, this morning.” pic.twitter.com/rbAhjvbVcL

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) May 4, 2023

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.

اشتباكات مسلحة عنيفة تدور الآن في محيط المنزل المحاصر بنابلس pic.twitter.com/a0QyOqITSx

— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) May 4, 2023

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.

BREAKING|| Palestinian youth Solaiman Ayish was just shot and killed by Israeli occupation live ammunition during a military raid into Aqabat Jaber in #Jericho, at dawn today. pic.twitter.com/jWHN3VI2IT

— AlQastal News (@QastalNewsEn) April 24, 2023

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

The moment when a Palestinian man was arrested by Israeli occupation soldiers from his home last night in the city of Nablus, north of the occupied West Bank. pic.twitter.com/58FmU0imnG

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) April 24, 2023

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)

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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
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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.

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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.

Medical personnel trying to save the life of one of the two Palestinians shot by the Israeli occupation forces in Nablus this morning before he was announced dead of his wounds. pic.twitter.com/2bp4jARIk0

— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) April 3, 2023

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

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.

Pictures documenting when the occupation forces stormed the Al-Qibli prayer hall in Al-Aqsa Mosque and forced the worshipers to leave it pic.twitter.com/zXjItFtVlz

— AlQastal News (@QastalNewsEn) April 2, 2023

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.

شاهد | بدء تشييع شهـ ـداء نابلس محمد الحلاق ومحمد أبو بكر. pic.twitter.com/wxi6ADAxMh

— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) April 3, 2023

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.

صور | جانب من المواجهات التي اندلعت مع قوات الاحتلال خلال اقتحامها مدينة نابلس. pic.twitter.com/LIWXC6jjq9

— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) April 3, 2023

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.” 

"شبابنا متجهزون للرد على الجريمة"..
حـ ـماس تنعى شهيديْ نابلس وتؤكد أن لا سبيل للجم الاحتلال إلا بالمقاومةhttps://t.co/JbR8QFIMna

— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) April 3, 2023

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

• Palestinians defend presence in Al-Aqsa as IOF attempts to expel them
• Palestinian cities on strike in protest of Al-Osaibi’s execution
• Israeli extremist group offers reward for Al-Aqsa desecration

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 3^rd 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.

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