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| Israel has intensified deadly raids in the occupied Palestinian territories. (Credit) [Shadi Jarar’ah /Al Jazeera] |
At least 150 Israeli soldiers in armored vehicles descended on Nablus, resulting in one of the deadliest raids in the occupied West Bank since the Intifada of 2000-05. In less than four hours, the Israeli army killed 11 Palestinians and injured over 80 people with live ammunition. The raid took place just one month after a similar raid in the Jenin refugee camp, 25 miles away, which resulted in 10 deaths. The victims of the Nablus raid included three elderly men, a 16-year-old boy, and hundreds who suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Deadly Raids
Jenin and Nablus have emerged as the centers of limited armed Palestinian resistance, resulting in increased Israeli attacks. These attacks have resulted in many civilians, including children, being killed and injured during raids.
Operation Details
Israeli undercover forces entered the Old City of Nablus dressed as religious Muslim men and veiled women and hid inside a mosque in the al-Halabeh quarter next to a house where two Palestinian fighters were taking shelter. The Israeli soldiers remained hidden inside the mosque until the morning, during which dozens of other soldiers took positions in and around the house and the neighborhood, including snipers on rooftops, according to local residents. The two fighters, Hossam Isleem and Mohammad Abdulghani, who belonged to the Lions’ Den armed group in Nablus, refused to surrender. A few minutes later, Israeli forces attacked the house with rocket-propelled grenades and armed drones, killing the men, according to residents. The Israeli army claims that Isleem, along with two other fighters in Israeli detention, Osama Taweel and Kamal Joury, was behind a shooting that killed an Israeli soldier near the illegal settlement of Shavei Shomron in October.
Widespread Confrontations
Amid the operation around the house, Israeli forces attacked large crowds of Palestinians in several busy locations across Nablus, with live ammunition and tear gas that contained pepper spray, including from drones, as widespread confrontations broke out with residents.
Series of Deadly Raids
The deadly raid on Nablus is the third major Israeli operation in the West Bank since the start of the year and under Israel’s new extreme right-wing government that was sworn in late December. On January 26, Israeli forces killed nine Palestinians, including two children and a woman, in the Jenin refugee camp. On February 6, the army killed five men and seriously wounded two others in the Aqabet Jaber refugee camp in Jericho city.
Israeli forces launched a deadly raid on the Palestinian city of Nablus on Wednesday, resulting in the deaths of 11 Palestinians and over 80 injuries. This is one of the deadliest military raids in the occupied West Bank since the mass Palestinian uprising or Intifada of 2000-05.
The Israeli army killed three elderly men and a 16-year-old boy, while hundreds of others suffered tear gas inhalation. The raid comes barely a month after 10 Palestinians were killed in a similar raid in the Jenin refugee camp about 41km (25 miles) away.
Undercover Israeli forces entered the Old City of Nablus on foot at dawn on Wednesday dressed as religious Muslim men and veiled women and hid inside a mosque in the al-Halabeh quarter next to a house where two Palestinian fighters were taking shelter.
Palestinian Centres of Resistance
Jenin and Nablus, which have emerged as the centres of limited armed Palestinian resistance, have become the scenes of increased deadly Israeli attacks. Among the victims of Wednesday’s raids were two Palestinian fighters, Hossam Isleem and Mohammad Abdulghani.
The Israeli army claims that Isleem, along with two other fighters in Israeli detention, Osama Taweel and Kamal Joury, was behind a shooting that killed an Israeli soldier near the illegal settlement of Shavei Shomron in October.
A Deadly Attack
The Israeli soldiers remained hidden inside the mosque until the morning, during which dozens of other soldiers took positions in and around the house and the neighbourhood, including snipers on rooftops, according to local residents. A few minutes later, Israeli forces attacked the house with rocket-propelled grenades and armed drones, killing the men, according to residents.
The raid sparked widespread confrontations with residents, with Israeli forces attacking large crowds of Palestinians in several busy locations across Nablus, using live ammunition and tear gas that contained pepper spray, including from drones.
“They fired tear gas in an unimaginable way at women, men, elderly people, in every busy area in Nablus city where there were a lot of people," said Khaled Jamal, a resident of Nablus. "It wasn’t normal tear gas. It was mixed with pepper spray, so that you don’t only choke, you also can’t open your eyes at all. There were large groups of people just walking blind.”
A Series of Deadly Raids
This deadly raid on Nablus is the third major Israeli operation in the West Bank since the start of the year and under Israel’s new extreme right-wing government that was sworn in late December. On January 26, Israeli forces killed nine Palestinians, including two children and a woman, in the Jenin refugee camp, in what was also described as a “massacre”. On February 6, the army killed five men and seriously wounded two others in the Aqabet Jaber refugee camp in Jericho city.
UN Declares 2022 Deadliest Year for Palestinians
These large-scale operations come just after 2022 was declared by the United Nations as the deadliest for Palestinians since the end of the second Intifada in 2005. While Israel claims that it is targeting limited Palestinian armed resistance in the northern West Bank, many civilians, including children, are often killed and injured during such raids and operations.
Israel’s actions have been widely condemned by human rights groups and the international community, who have called for an immediate end to the violence and for Israel to be held accountable for its actions. The continued violence and loss of life are a tragic reminder of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine, and the urgent need for a peaceful resolution.
Conclusion
The series of deadly raids has come after 2022 was declared by the United Nations as the deadliest for Palestinians since the end of the second Intifada in 2005. While Israel claims that it is targeting limited Palestinian armed resistance in the northern West Bank, many civilians, including children, are often killed and injured during such raids. The raids have sparked outrage among Palestinians and the international community, who have called on Israel to end its brutal military campaigns against civilians.
