Israeli Attacks Continue in the West Bank
Featured image: In Kharbat Qalqas, south of Hebron, Israeli soldiers demolish houses. Source: Social Media.
This week Israeli forces have continued criminal raids, arrests, murders, destruction, assaults and military operations in multiple parts of the West Bank.
On Monday two Palestinian teenagers, 19-year-old Issa Arafat Ismail Awad and 15-year-old Reda Sami Hassan Awad, were murdered close to the town of Beit Ummar, north of Hebron. Israeli forces claimed the youths had been throwing petrol bombs at settler vehicles, attacked them, and left them bleeding, then denied them access to medical aid by blocking access to the area. In addition a Palestinian child and an adult in the same area were reportedly wounded by Israeli gunfire during attacks towards residents in the area.
Israeli occupation forces also carried out a wide campaign of raids and arrests overnight across several West Bank governorates including Ramallah, Tulkarm, Bethlehem, occupied Jerusalem and Nablus, where several Palestinians were detained including journalists.
On Tuesday Israeli occupation forces intensified their actions with a series of widespread raids, arrests, land seizures and attacks in West Bank and East Jerusalem. Specifically also targeting agricultural, and religious and cultural sites.
It was also reported that in Jerusalem,, dozens of Israeli settlers entered the courtyards of Al-Aqsa Mosque, under heavy protection from the Israeli forces. Israeli forces also imposed strict restrictions on Palestinians entering the mosque, including identity checks, detentions at entrances and limitations on access to the compound.
In addition Israeli forces conducted several raids and arrests in Hebron, Ramallah, al-Bireh, Nablus, Jenin and Bethlehem governorates arresting among others former prisoners. Reports also indicate several violent confrontations with residents.
Palestinian youths fend off Israeli settlers’ attacks on homes of the Burqa town in Nablus, in northern West Bank.
In Nablus governorate, in the historic town of Sebastia, dozens of Israeli settlers stormed the archaeological site under heavy military protection.
On Thursday Israeli forces murdered a Palestinian man after storming his home in the village of Sarta.
Over all 71 Palestinians have been murdered by Israeli forces and illegal settlers in the West Bank since the beginning of the year. According to figures cited by Quds Network, 1,659 attacks were recorded during May alone, including 1,108 carried out by Israeli forces and 551 by settlers.
Palestinian sources also report that since October 2023, Israeli raids and settler attacks in the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem have murdered at least 1,169 Palestinians, injured 12,666 others, displaced approximately 33,000 residents, and arrests of around 23,000 people have been carried out.
