During the last week, Palestinians in the West Bank and Al-Quds (Jerusalem) have been confronting and resisting the Occupation Forces and the increasing Israeli settlers’ attacks. The points below summarize the most important rising events:
ðŸ“Jenin Camp
Morning of 14 Oct.2022
The resistance fighters in Jenin Camp confronted the raiding Occupation Forces who killed Dr. Abdallah Al-Ahmad and Mateen Dabaya.
ðŸ“Nablus
11 Oct. 2022 - Today
The Occupation Forces continue imposing a besiege on the city by blocking 6 of Nablus’s entrances with earth mounds.
📠Different areas
Settlers intensified their attacks in the past few days, mostly in Huwara and Qusra, causing injuries, burning poultry farms with 30 thousand birds, attacking shops, and cutting olive trees.
📠Sheikh Jarrah Neighborhood
13 Oct. 2022
Sheikh Jarrah Neighborhood was attacked by Israeli settlers with the support of the Occupation Forces who arrested a number of the neighborhood people.
📠Al-Quds Villages
Confrontations intensified in the past two days, where Palestinians resisted colonial settlement outposts with fireworks, and confronted the Occupation Forces with rocks and Molotov.
ðŸ“Al-Aqsa Mosque
The settlers* incursions into Al-Aqsa intensified to reach 3,5000 settlers during “Sukkot Holidayâ€, meanwhile the Occupation Forces prevented Palestinians from entering the mosque.
We are currently seeing an unprecedented moment of Palestinian resistance across the West Bank. It’s too early to tell where events will lead — whether it’s the historic turning point or the last gasp of protest before something even worse — but what’s certain is that Palestinians are on the precipice of returning to a state of refusal, if not full-fledged resistance, to the settler-colonial reality some would have them ignore. The current moment will ultimately be decided by militant mass support and the expansion of resistance activity to the rest of the West Bank.
Israel's use of poison against Palestinians during the Nakba
Haaretz newspaper revealed that during the Nakba, Ben-Gurion ordered that Palestinian wells be poisoned to prevent people from return. Wells in Acre, Gaza, Beersheba, Jericho, Galilee, Bedouin, & Jerusalem were poisoned. Zionist gangs spread germs that caused typhus and dysentery.
www.instagram.com/p/CjxiILPqpMI/
Article: Historians reveal Israel's use of poison against Palestinians
middleeastmonitor
What is happening in the West Bank right now: a full breakdown
The resurgence of armed Palestinian confrontation with Israeli colonial authorities has been years in the making, and Israel has launched a months-long military campaign to wipe it out.
The West Bank and Jerusalem are “on fire.â€
It’s a term we’re seeing used more and more across social media, the news, and opinion pieces talking about the current events in the occupied Palestinian territory. It’s also not a new phrase used to describe waves of suppression and resistance in Palestine, most recently the 2021 Unity Intifada that swept across historic Palestine.
So what exactly is unfolding in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem right now, and why? What makes it different from what we’ve seen in recent history, and what does it mean for the future of Palestinian resistance to Israeli occupation and settler-colonialism?
The past few weeks have witnessed a noticeable intensification of Israel’s crackdown on Palestinians in the West Bank, targeting both ordinary civilians in their homes and villages, and armed resistance fighters and groups.
Simultaneously, armed settlers have been terrorizing Palestinian communities across the West Bank, often in the presence and protection of the Israeli military.
The current repression, and the resistance to it, are part of a larger, months-long campaign to quell growing Palestinian resistance, particularly armed resistance, which has seen a resurgence in areas of the West Bank.
The rise of Palestinian resistance in the face of a brutal crackdown Since the start of October, Israeli forces have killed 15 Palestinians — four of them teenagers and children — primarily during night raids and arrest operations.
Over the past week alone, four Palestinians were killed: Mujahed Daoud, 31, from Salfit succumbed on Sunday to wounds he sustained during confrontations with Israeli forces the week prior. Mateen Dabaya, 20, and Abdullah Abu al-Teen, 43, a doctor and father of three, were both killed in a raid on the Jenin refugee camp early Friday morning. Later Friday night Israeli forces shot and killed Qais Imad Shujaiya, 23, after he carried out a shooting operation near the illegal Beit El settlement that injured one Israeli settler.
On Wednesday October 12, 17-year-old Osama Mahmoud Adawi was killed when Israeli forces shot him in the abdomen outside the Arroub refugee camp, south of Bethlehem in the West Bank.
As the Israeli military, police, and intelligence, at the behest of Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, intensify their latest campaign, Palestinian resistance to the occupation’s tactics has swelled, alongside Palestinian fears of Israeli violence.
Over the past two weeks, two Israeli soldiers were killed in separate shooting operations: one at a military checkpoint outside the Shu’fat refugee camp in Jerusalem, and another at an army post in the Nablus area in the northern West Bank.
Notably, both shooters made it out alive — an uncommon occurrence in light of the Israeli army’s shoot-to-kill policy in the occupied territory, which Israeli authorities are actively refusing to change amid international pressures. Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid had noted that no soldier will be prosecuted “just so that we can receive applause abroad,†earlier in September.
In the manhunt to find the shooters, Israeli forces have enacted a number of collective punishment measures, including widespread road closures affecting the entire Nablus district, and the blockade of entire neighborhoods like Shuafat and the nearby Anata. The blockade of Shu’fat and the surrounding neighborhoods sparked a widespread civil disobedience campaign in neighborhoods across Jerusalem.
Protests in support of the civil disobedience campaign in Jerusalem have grown in the besieged Gaza Strip, where Palestinians have joined the calls for continued confrontation with the Israeli military apparatus.
At the same time, amid the Jewish Holiday season, Israeli settlers have been ramping up their attacks of Palestinians and their property in the West Bank, under the supervision and protection of Israeli forces.
The near nightly raids, deadly suppression of protests, collective punishment policies, and increasing settler violence have done little to stifle Palestinian resistance. Reports of daily protests and confrontations with Israeli forces across Jerusalem and the West Bank have persisted, while the Nablus-based Palestinian resistance group, Areen Al-Usud (Den of Lions), has continued to gain favor among the public, as it claims responsibility for increasing armed operations against Israeli military positions in the West Bank.
What does ‘Operation Break the Wave’ mean for Palestinians? The large-scale campaign coordinated by the Israeli military and intelligence against Palestinians focuses on Nablus and Jenin in the West Bank, and the city of Jerusalem. Unsurprisingly for Palestinians, this recent intensification of assault by Israel builds on actions from previous years.
“The [Old City] is as it has been,†said Basil Kittaneh, researcher and resident of the Old City of Nablus, where burgeoning armed resistance groups, led primarily by youth unaffiliated with any political parties, has made its home.
“Every day residents are preparing for the expectation of something. Every night, the drone sounds are buzzing, and people aren’t sleeping and are in a state of fear,†he said.
After the peak of the Unity Intifada of last summer, an unforeseen change was birthed by the unification of Palestinians across borders — the effects of which continue to play out in the current moment.
As Palestinians collectively rose up last year, they were also collectively punished, including Palestinians with Israeli citizenship. In May of 2021, the Israeli Police launched “Operation Law and Order,†which targeted Palestinians with Israeli citizenship who participated in the activities of the Unity Intifada — particularly those who opened fire on Israeli lynch mobs that had invaded Palestinian neighborhoods and attacked its residents. Overnight, thousands of Palestinians with Israeli citizenship were arrested as a form of collective punishment, and what the Israeli security apparatus terms “deterrence.â€
Operation Break the Wave was launched in March of this year to quell the growing armed resistance groups, primarily in cities like Nablus and Jenin, but it is important to view it as a continuation of “Operation Law and Order†in ‘48, in addition to “Operation Breaking Dawn†in Gaza.
Spearheaded by Israeli army chief of staff Aviv Kochavi in tandem with the Israeli PM, the months-long Break the Wave campaign lies at the crux of what we are witnessing across occupied Palestine today. Kochavi has deployed Israeli soldiers not only in the West Bank, but also expanded military jurisdiction beyond the Green Line, into cities under the jurisdiction of the Israeli police. Palestinians with Israeli citizenship were under de facto military rule until the 1970s.
The implications of the current escalation by Israel is part of the broader Israeli settler-colonial project, driven by a right-wing Zionist ideology. In daily raids on Palestinian cities and towns, Israeli forces have arrested more than 1,500 Palestinians, according to the Israeli military chief.
“We will reach every city, neighborhood, alley, house, or basement for that purpose,†Kochavi said in September. However, the numbers are much higher than those reported by Kochavi, which has led to a systematic assault on Palestinians’ sense of stability and safety, as it implies that Israeli forces are not confined to a single geographical space, and instead targets everyone — not only those resisting, but those showing potential signs of resistance.
“The people [of the Old City] are alert all night,†Kittaneh explained to Mondoweiss. “Overall, there is an embrace of the resistance, but collective punishment is being enforced on all of Nablus.â€
UK government says 'no current plan' to move embassy in Israel to Jerusalem Downing Street u-turn comes after ex-prime minister Liz Truss had pledged to review location of embassy in Tel Aviv
United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has dumped plans to shift the country's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
In a shock development, a Downing Street spokesperson told foreign journalists at a press briefing on Wednesday that the controversial plan to shift the embassy had been dropped.
A spokesperson told Middle East Eye "there are no current plans to change the location of our embassy".
The spokesperson did not say whether an official review into the potential move, set in motion by Rishi Sunak's predecessor, Liz Truss, had been abandoned.
However, MEE understands from Conservative Party sources that Downing Street would not have been so emphatic if the inquiry was ongoing.
MEE also understands that UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly warned strongly against moving the embassy.
The Palestinian ambassador to London, Husam Zomlot, welcomed the news, remarking: "The question about the location of the UK's embassy should never have been asked in the first place."
Some will see the decision as the latest in a series of u-turns by Sunak, who has been prime minister since 25 October, following his change of heart about whether to attend the COP27 summit in Egypt.
During the contest to succeed Boris Johnson as Conservative leader, Sunak was asked about Britain recognising Jerusalem as Israel's capital.
He replied: "To me, it's indisputably the historic capital… it seems to me that there is a very strong case to it, to recognise what is a historic and practical step."
He added: "It would be something where we'd be acting in concert with our allies in the region and, in general, one of our closest allies, so it's something I'd like to do."
As exclusively revealed by MEE, the British government already holds land in the Talpiot neighbourhood of Jerusalem, known as the Orange Plot, earmarked for decades as a possible embassy site.
Change of heart
The statement by Downing Street came hours before Sunak spoke at an event co-organised by the Board of Deputies of British Jews to mark the second anniversary of the normalisation agreements, known as the Abraham Accords, between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco.
The event was attended by ambassadors to the UK from the four countries as well as ministers from the UAE and Bahrain.
Sunak said: “Today we send a clear message about our commitment to the accords and all they represent. The accords have kickstarted a new era of relations in trade, tourism, security, and more and this is the dividend of diplomacy.
"This would have been impossible just a few years ago, but it does show how we can transform peace and stability in the region. The UK is committed to working with you all to take this initiative from strength to strength.â€
Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl last month urged Truss, Sunak's predecessor, to press ahead with moving the embassy to Jerusalem at a reception attended by the then-prime minister at the Conservatives' party conference, organised by the pro-Israel lobby group Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI).
Van der Zyl told the audience: "We are really hopeful that the government is going to move the embassy, like America, to Jerusalem - the capital of Israel."
Sunak's volte-face comes as a blow to the CFI. As MEE revealed, James Gurd, the director of CFI, went to the trouble of sending a briefing note to MPs making the case for a move along with a "suggested casework response" for MPs to send to constituents.
But plans for the change ran into opposition from religious leaders. The Archbishop of Canterbury told MEE of his concern about "the potential impact of moving the British Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem before a negotiated settlement between Palestinians and Israelis has been reached".
In an unprecedented move, senior Muslim figures in Jerusalem wrote to King Charles expressing their "deep concern" about the consequences of moving the embassy from its current location.
One Kuwaiti MP, Osama al-Shaheen, also warned that such a move could scupper the free trade agreement between the UK and the six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council - which includes Kuwait - due to be signed by the end of the year.
The Downing Street change of heart was welcomed by Conservative Friends of Palestine. A spokesperson told MEE: "We welcome the news that common sense has prevailed, and that the prime minister is becoming aware of the sensitivities involved and legal issues surrounding the matter."
Chris Doyle, director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding, told MEE on Wednesday: "Just contemplating moving the British embassy to Israel was rash and reckless, akin to tossing a hand grenade into a volcano. Britain was messing with the future of Jerusalem, perhaps the most contested city on earth.
"It returns Britain to the long-standing international consensus that the fate of Jerusalem must be decided through negotiation, leading to a solution that is inclusive of all stakeholders, Israeli, Palestinian, Christian, Muslim and Jewish - rather than one single party," he added.
@btselem A woman arrived at a checkpoint in labor. The checkpoint was only partially functioning, as part of the arbitrary collective punishment Israel is imposing on Palestinians. “On Wednesday evening, I was at the northern entrance to the town of ‘Anata. There was a big traffic jam on both sides,†said Ma’ruf Ibrahim Muhammad a-Rifa’i to B’Tselem. “We were waiting in the traffic jam when a car drove up with a woman inside. The driver was honking the horn and had all four lights on to indicate an emergency. He begged people to let him pass. I saw the woman get out of the car. She was groaning in pain and shouting for help. It was obvious she was about to give birth. While she was pleading to be let through and we tried to make way for them, I saw her pants get wet, which meant her waters broke. We picked her up and walked for about 10 minutes, with her husband holding her body and us holding her legs. She screamed and cried the whole way. When we got to the junction and were about 10 meters from the Border Police officers, they saw us carrying her and did nothing. We walked along a dirt path around the checkpoint, where they allowed people to cross on foot, and put her into the car of a resident there. He turned around and drove quickly out of ‘Anata. I was later told he met a Red Crescent ambulance and the woman gave birth on the way. I don’t know how she’s doing.â€
23 November 2022
Israel demolished a primary school built in the Palestinian community of Khirbet a-Safai al-Foqa in Masafer Yatta, in the part of the South Hebron Hills the military declared Firing Zone 918. The forces removed the tables and chairs from the classrooms and confiscated them. The demolition was greenlighted by Supreme Court Justice Isaac Amit, who cancelled the temporary order he issued yesterday freezing the demolition.
Palestinians living in Qatar, as well as those visiting, are taking advantage of the world’s attention on the World Cup to make their flag prominent.
“The World Cup has given us a platform to make our voice heard,†Bader, a Palestinian based in Qatar, told Al Jazeera during a night of festivities in Lusail, home to Qatar’s biggest stadium, which will host the World Cup final.
"The World Cup has given us a platform to make our voice heard,†Bader, a Palestinian based in Qatar, told Al Jazeera during a night of festivities in Lusail, home to Qatar’s biggest stadium, which will host the World Cup final.
Most Palestinians were out to make their presence felt, not just with the flags, but with their attire as well.
Bader wore a T-shirt with a map of Palestine and “Free Palestine†emblazoned on it, and had a Palestinian keffiyeh (scarf) and flag wrapped around his neck.
Quote:
“People from all over the world are here in Qatar and when they see us dressed like this they come up to us and ask where we are from, since Palestine is not participating in the World Cup,†said Bader.
“It gives us a chance to acquaint them with the situation in our homeland, show them our culture and narrate our history.
They know about Israel but not about Palestine. There was no Israel until it occupied Palestine.â€
Israeli journalists have been ignored by Arab fans in Qatar this week. Videos have gone viral on social media
One video shows an Egyptian football fan smiling serenely as an Israeli broadcaster introduces him live on air. Then he leans into the microphone with a message: “Viva Palestine.â€
Another clip from the streets of Doha this week shows a group of Lebanese men walking away from a live interview with a reporter they have just learned is Israeli. One shouts over his shoulder: “There is no Israel. It’s Palestine.â€
A Channel 13 reporter said Palestinian fans held an impromptu protest next to him, waving their and flags and chanting "go home".
On the 23rd of November the IOF demolished newly built Isfey al-Fauqa school. It provided education to 22 students up to 5th grade (6-11 year olds).
The next nearest school is 4 kilometres away and also at risk of demolition.
Demolition commenced while students were still inside the building. Sound bombs were used on the children.
This is a normal day in Masafer Yatta. The people here are subject to meticulously planned ethnic cleansing. The occupation cuts power. The occupation cuts water pipes. The occupation cuts education and it cuts lives short.
The army not only destroyed their school but confiscated furniture including the students chairs.
www.instagram.com/p/CleQyaCN98l/
The condemnation of the "#Israeli" occupation and its crimes at #Qatar World Cup 2022 has forced "Israeli" media reporters to face a harsh reality they were not expecting. Some of them have even pretended to be from a different country.
Media correspondent at @yedioth Raz Shechnik claimed to be Ecuadorian for a day, in an attempt to avoid being shunned by football fans upon trying to interview them.
"We feel hated, surrounded by hostility, and unwanted," Raz Shechnik, the media and music correspondent for Hebrew news outlet Yedioth Ahronoth, wrote in an op-ed published on Sunday, November 27.
"After a while, we decided to claim we were Ecuadorian when someone would ask us where we were from," Shechnik went on to admit, claiming the experience has definitely not been "fun."
He also alleged that his crew is "followed at all times by Palestinians, Iranians, Qataris, Moroccans, Jordanians, Syrians, Egyptians, and Lebanese – all giving us looks full of hate."
This is all happening, according to Shechnik, despite his explanation to fans that the "Israelis" "come in peace."
"They would truly like to see us wiped off the face of the earth, and any notion of Israel evokes their complete disgust," the reporter concluded.
This cannot be undone and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated.
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