Palestine: Settlers attack West Bank villages – Iran retaliates against Israeli aggression
Featured: Funeral for man killed in settler raids in the West Bank. Source: Al Jazeera
The State of Israel continues its genocide against the people of Palestine after more than six months of their current campaign. According to the latest reports at least 33,634 people, including more than 13 thousand children have been murdered by the State of Israel in Gaza. More than 76,214 people have been injured and more than eight thousand are missing. In the West Bank the State of Israel has murdered at least 460 people, including 117 children, and it has injured more than 4,750 people.
This year the State of Israel has already seized a record amount of land in the West Bank. According to reports by Israeli media, in the first three months of this year, 2,743 acres (11.1 square kilometers) of land in the West Bank has been declared as state-owned land by the State of Israel. The last record since an NGO started recording this data in 1998 was set in 1999 when the State of Israel declared 1,285 acres of land state-owned.
Israeli settlers have attacked villages in the West Bank after a 14-year-old settler went missing, and was later found dead. The settlers murdered a Palestinian man, wounded at least 25 people and set fire to homes. It is reported that at least 40 vehicles and homes were destroyed in the attacks. An Israeli photographer who was trying to document the attack was beaten up by a group of 20 to 30 Israeli settlers, some of which were in IDF uniforms.
There are reports on a lone Palestinian fighter who fought against Israeli special forces for hours before being killed near Ramallah in the West Bank on the 29th of March. The fighter eliminated one Israeli soldier and wounded seven more using a World War I-era rifle. He shot down two drones and, despite being attacked by suicide drones and grenades, evaded the Israeli forces for 5 hours, before he was killed by an attack helicopter.
Iran has retaliated against the Israeli attack on its embassy in Syria, in which 13 people were murdered, including a Brigadier General and a General of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, an obvious declaration of war by the State of Israel against Iran according to international law.
Iran’s Permanent UNoG Mission stated via X: “In exercising its inherent right of Self-Defense under Article 51 of the UN-Charter, and in response to the Israeli regime recurring military aggressions, particularly its armed attack on 1st April 2024 against Iranian diplomatic premises, in defiance of Article 2 (4) of the UN-Charter and in flagrant violation of International Law, and subsequent to the failure of the UNSC in taking measures necessary to condemn and hold the aggressor accountable, Iran carried out a series of military strikes on Israeli military objectives.”
Today, 14th of April, Israeli media reports that Iran launched 350 projectiles against the State of Israel, including 185 drones, 120 ballistic rockets, and more than 30 cruise missiles. It is reported that some of these projectiles were launched by resistance forces in Yemen, Lebanon and Iraq. The State of Israel is reported to have intercepted most of the projectiles with the support of Yankee, British and French imperialism, in addition to the lackey regimes in Jordan, as well as from bases in Iraq and Syria. It is reported that an Israeli military base was hit, causing damage to infrastructure. This supposedly was the Navatim Airbase in the Negev desert, which was hit, as the Ramon Airport, also located in the Negev, was. According to Iranian reports, several missiles also hit Arad and Umm al-Fahm. The reported usage of missiles equipped with cluster warheads, supposedly led to some confusion of air defense systems, as the Iron Dome, the David’s Sling system and the Arrow system, to intercept the weapons. The same sources said that no population or economic centers, but only the Israeli military were targeted. Yesterday Iranian forces are reported to have seized an Israeli-linked container ship. The Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Major General Mohammad Bagheri, according to The Islamic Republic News Agency, stated that Iran has no intention of continuing the operation against Israel, and the operation has been concluded.
We already yesterday reported that German imperialism, which is trialed at the International Court of Justice due to its collaboration in the Israeli genocide in Gaza, cracked down a solidarity event in the capital Berlin. Nicaragua has filed a case against Germany with the UN ICJ for facilitating the genocide in Gaza politically, financially and militarily, as we previously reported.
Actions of international solidarity with the people of Palestine have continued:
In Tehran, Iran, thousands of people gathered at the Palestine Square shortly after the Iranian retaliation against the State of Israel, chanting “Death to Israel” and “Death to America”. A large crowd also held an anti-Israeli demonstration outside of the British embassy.
We have previously reported on the important march outside of the Lannemezan prison in France, where Georges Ibrahim Abdallah is held captive:
It is reported on more activities in France for the liberation of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah
In Lyon, France, a fountain was colored red to denounce the genocide in Gaza.
A statement by la Fosse aux Lyons denounces repressive court proceedings of the imperialist French State, which could lead to the forceful dissolution of around ten organizations supporting the struggle of the people of Palestine. The organizations that are targeted by this repression include the Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste, Comité Action Palestine, EuroPalestine, Parti des Indigènes de la République, Palestine Vaincra, as well as Ligue de la Jeunesse Révolutionnaire (LJR).
In Hamburg, Germany, there was a rally for the release of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah on the 6th of April, called for by the Palestine Alliance. Slogans such as “From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free!” were shouted, and some passersby spontaneously joined the rally. Activists from the Red League took part in the rally where they also sold newspapers.
On the 4th of April there was an event in Hamburg, where the Red League presented the history and struggle of Palestine, the situation since the 7th of October and the repression associated with it in Germany. A representative of ‘PrisonerInfo’ then made a presentation on the story and situation of Georges Ibrahim Abdallah.
In Oslo, Norway there have been several actions in solidarity with Palestine during the last weeks.
On the 20th of March more than 100 activists blocked the two main entrances of the Norwegian Parliament with demands against the Norwegian State investing in companies tied to illegal settlements in Palestine and against the import of Israeli goods from the occupied Palestinian territories.
On the 6th of April, around 6,000 people gathered for a demonstration called for by the Palestine Committee in Oslo. The demonstration marched to the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs where a rally was held.
On the 8th of April, there was a demonstration outside of the Egyptian Embassy in Oslo. The demonstration denounced the silence of the Egyptian regime as well as its collusion with the State of Israel.
Also on the 8th of April in Oslo, demonstrators blocked a meeting of the national leadership of governing Labor Party, demanding the end of the State of Norway’s participation in breaking international law. The police had to escort the Prime Minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, and other participants to the meeting, which got delayed because of the demonstration.
In Copenhagen, Denmark, graffiti has been made with the slogans “Out on the streets on the 1st of May! Down with Zionism and Imperialism” and “Long Live the Heroic Palestinian Resistance Struggle!”.
In New York City, USA, hundreds of pro-Palestine activists protested against a so-called “grassroots fundraiser” of the election campaign of Joe Biden on the 28th of March. The “grassroots” event had an entry fee of up to 500,000 US-Dollar. The discussion was interrupted at least five times by protesters among the audience.
In Brazil, the AND has published a poem called “Palestinian Intifadas!” by peoples lawyer Jorge Moreno. We share the original poem in Portuguese as well an unofficial translation into English:
Original:
Intifadas Palestina!
Não se lançam dados da sorte ao vento
Nem tampouco se soletram palavras vazias
A linda manhã que se anuncia
Requer uma sinfonia contra o triste vento
Se a guerra destrói casas, que agonia
Crianças erguem o punho, jovens em ousadia
Nenhuma mão tirará de ti o forte rebento
Que frutificará inteiro no tempo certo
Doce tua terra, tua gente, lindo teu luar,
Ainda ouço por ti os cânticos de minha avó
Se hoje atravessam o corpo balas sem dó
Um dia bem sei que nossa vitória não tardará
Sim, há de chegar, pedras intifadas serão casas
Nos campos de olivais poderemos descansar
Poemas de amor soltarão nossas asas
Nessa terra que livre, liberta, será do rio ao mar!
English translation:
Palestinian Intifadas!
You don’t throw a lucky dice into the wind
Nor empty words spelled out
The beautiful morning ahead
Requires a symphony against the sad wind
If war destroys houses, what agony
Children raise their fists, young men in daring
No hand will take from you the strong shoot
That will bear full fruit at the right time
Sweet your land, your people, beautiful your moonlight,
I still hear my grandmother’s songs for you
If today bullets pass through my body without pity
One day I know that our victory will not be long in coming
Yes, it will come, intifada stones will be houses
In the fields of olive groves we can rest
Poems of love will spread our wings
In this land that will be free, liberated, from the river to the sea!
In the Spanish State were calls for mobilizations in solidarity with Palestine, against the genocide perpetrated by the State of Israel and for the liberation of the Palestinian prisoners in almost 20 cities.
In Tampere, Finland, posters announcing three events have been put up. The events will be held in the upcoming weeks and will be: the screening of a documentary film for the Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, the screening of the Feyadin film on the struggle of the Georges Abdallah, and the call of a march and demonstration in Tampere.
We have previously reported on the situation in Palestine and more actions of international solidarity: