Relatives of Palestinians who lost their lives in an Israeli attack on Jenin refugee camp mourn during the funeral ceremony in Jenin, West Bank on October 22, 2023.
Israel Ramps Up Assault on West Bank With Airstrike on Mosque, Deadly Raids
"Settlers all over the West Bank see this war as a golden opportunity to torment Palestinians from small communities who are literally defenseless," said one human rights campaigner.
An airstrike at Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Sunday represented what health officials called a "dangerous escalation" of the Israeli military's attacks on the Palestinian territory, where civilians have been under assault since Israel began a sustained air campaign to retaliate for a surprise Hamas attack on October 7.
At least two people were killed when an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) warplane struck a mosque in densely populated Jenin at about 3:00 am local time Sunday. At least three others were injured and the mosque sustained major damage.
Israeli authorities claimed it had targeted an underground "terror compound" where Hamas was operating, but The New York Times and Middle East Eye both reported that the claim could not be independently verified.
"Israeli forces are increasingly and brazenly killing Palestinian children throughout the West Bank."
International attention has largely been turned to Gaza since Israel's bombardment began, with the IDF killing at least 5,087 people in the blockaded enclave since Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared a "complete siege" there.
In the West Bank, at least 91 people—including 29 children—have been killed in attacks by Israeli soldiers and settlers since October 7, while the IDF has further restricted the movement of people in the region, where residents regularly face dozens of checkpoints and roadblocks when trying to travel through the territory.
Israeli authorities have closed checkpoints and imposed stringent restrictions on travel across the West Bank's border with Jordan.
IDF soldiers and Israeli settlers have also raided towns and refugee camps including Nour Shams, where soldiers killed 13 Palestinians, including five children, last Thursday in a 24-hour siege.
On Monday, residents of Jalazone refugee camp told Reuters that Israeli soldiers had killed at least two people and made "widespread arrests" in an overnight raid.
"Here at Jalazone refugee camp, the Israeli army carries out raids three to four times a week," Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, head of the services committee for the camp, told Al Jazeera.
At least 35 people in the camp, which is north of the central city of Ramallah, have been detained since October 7.
Among those killed over the weekend was 15-year-old Mohammad Qasem Mohammad Abu Zer, who was shot in the chest by a sniper in the village of Zawata. The boy joined other young people in throwing stones at Israeli military vehicles as the IDF entered their town and surrounded their neighbor's house.
Two other young people who approached Abu Zer after the shooting—including his 18-year-old brother, Jamil, were also shot by Israeli snipers.
"Israeli forces are increasingly and brazenly killing Palestinian children throughout the West Bank," said Ayed Abu Eqtaish, accountability program director at Defense for Children International—Palestine. "At this moment, there is absolutely no check on Israeli aggression as the international community enables war crimes through the provision of weapons and financial and diplomatic support to ensure Israeli forces and officers enjoy impunity regardless of the gravity of crimes."
Violence by settlers has also risen by 40% in the West Bank in the last two weeks, MEE reported.
Three Palestinians in the village of Wadi al-Seeq, 10 miles east of Ramallah, told Haaretz last week that they and a group of pro-Palestinian rights Israeli activists were apprehended by armed settlers and IDF soldiers on October 12 when they were trying to evacuate the town. They were taken to an abandoned building where the soldiers beat and abused them for several hours, with one reporting he was sexually assaulted.
Villagers in the West Bank told the BBC on Saturday that Israeli settlers are "taking advantage" of the international focus on the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza "by entering villages and expelling, and even killing, Palestinian civilians," with the settlers often accompanied by IDF forces.
The Israeli human rights group Israeli B'Tselem told the outlet it has documented "a concerted and organized effort by settlers to use the fact that the entire international and local attention is focused on Gaza and the north of Israel to try to seize land in the West Bank," carrying out a long-term goal of the Israeli government.
"Settlers all over the West Bank see this war as a golden opportunity to torment Palestinians from small communities who are literally defenseless," said Sarit Michaeli, international advocacy lead for B'Tselem, recently.
Last week, Israeli National Security Minister Itar Ben Gvir said the government would purchase 10,000 rifles to arm Israeli civilians, including settlers in the West Bank.
Urgent. It's never been this bad.
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission from the outset was simple. To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It’s never been this bad out there. And it’s never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed and doing some of its best and most important work, the threats we face are intensifying. Right now, with just three days to go in our Spring Campaign, we're falling short of our make-or-break goal. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Can you make a gift right now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? There is no backup plan or rainy day fund. There is only you. —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
An airstrike at Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Sunday represented what health officials called a "dangerous escalation" of the Israeli military's attacks on the Palestinian territory, where civilians have been under assault since Israel began a sustained air campaign to retaliate for a surprise Hamas attack on October 7.
At least two people were killed when an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) warplane struck a mosque in densely populated Jenin at about 3:00 am local time Sunday. At least three others were injured and the mosque sustained major damage.
Israeli authorities claimed it had targeted an underground "terror compound" where Hamas was operating, but The New York Times and Middle East Eye both reported that the claim could not be independently verified.
"Israeli forces are increasingly and brazenly killing Palestinian children throughout the West Bank."
International attention has largely been turned to Gaza since Israel's bombardment began, with the IDF killing at least 5,087 people in the blockaded enclave since Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared a "complete siege" there.
In the West Bank, at least 91 people—including 29 children—have been killed in attacks by Israeli soldiers and settlers since October 7, while the IDF has further restricted the movement of people in the region, where residents regularly face dozens of checkpoints and roadblocks when trying to travel through the territory.
Israeli authorities have closed checkpoints and imposed stringent restrictions on travel across the West Bank's border with Jordan.
IDF soldiers and Israeli settlers have also raided towns and refugee camps including Nour Shams, where soldiers killed 13 Palestinians, including five children, last Thursday in a 24-hour siege.
On Monday, residents of Jalazone refugee camp told Reuters that Israeli soldiers had killed at least two people and made "widespread arrests" in an overnight raid.
"Here at Jalazone refugee camp, the Israeli army carries out raids three to four times a week," Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, head of the services committee for the camp, told Al Jazeera.
At least 35 people in the camp, which is north of the central city of Ramallah, have been detained since October 7.
Among those killed over the weekend was 15-year-old Mohammad Qasem Mohammad Abu Zer, who was shot in the chest by a sniper in the village of Zawata. The boy joined other young people in throwing stones at Israeli military vehicles as the IDF entered their town and surrounded their neighbor's house.
Two other young people who approached Abu Zer after the shooting—including his 18-year-old brother, Jamil, were also shot by Israeli snipers.
"Israeli forces are increasingly and brazenly killing Palestinian children throughout the West Bank," said Ayed Abu Eqtaish, accountability program director at Defense for Children International—Palestine. "At this moment, there is absolutely no check on Israeli aggression as the international community enables war crimes through the provision of weapons and financial and diplomatic support to ensure Israeli forces and officers enjoy impunity regardless of the gravity of crimes."
Violence by settlers has also risen by 40% in the West Bank in the last two weeks, MEE reported.
Three Palestinians in the village of Wadi al-Seeq, 10 miles east of Ramallah, told Haaretz last week that they and a group of pro-Palestinian rights Israeli activists were apprehended by armed settlers and IDF soldiers on October 12 when they were trying to evacuate the town. They were taken to an abandoned building where the soldiers beat and abused them for several hours, with one reporting he was sexually assaulted.
Villagers in the West Bank told the BBC on Saturday that Israeli settlers are "taking advantage" of the international focus on the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza "by entering villages and expelling, and even killing, Palestinian civilians," with the settlers often accompanied by IDF forces.
The Israeli human rights group Israeli B'Tselem told the outlet it has documented "a concerted and organized effort by settlers to use the fact that the entire international and local attention is focused on Gaza and the north of Israel to try to seize land in the West Bank," carrying out a long-term goal of the Israeli government.
"Settlers all over the West Bank see this war as a golden opportunity to torment Palestinians from small communities who are literally defenseless," said Sarit Michaeli, international advocacy lead for B'Tselem, recently.
Last week, Israeli National Security Minister Itar Ben Gvir said the government would purchase 10,000 rifles to arm Israeli civilians, including settlers in the West Bank.
- Rights Group Says Israel Uses Settler Violence Against Palestinians to Take Over West Bank Land ›
- UN Experts Decry Record Year of Israeli Violence in Occupied West Bank ›
- With All Eyes on Gaza, Israeli Soldiers and Settlers Kill Dozens of West Bank Palestinians ›
- Israeli Forces Raid Freedom Theatre in West Bank and Arrest Artists ›
- Israel Jails Palestinian Human Rights Lawyer Diala Ayesh Without Charge ›
- Israeli Filmmaker Faces Death Threats, German Probe After Condemning Apartheid ›
- Opinion | 'This Is Our Land,' Says the Israeli Settler | Common Dreams ›
An airstrike at Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank on Sunday represented what health officials called a "dangerous escalation" of the Israeli military's attacks on the Palestinian territory, where civilians have been under assault since Israel began a sustained air campaign to retaliate for a surprise Hamas attack on October 7.
At least two people were killed when an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) warplane struck a mosque in densely populated Jenin at about 3:00 am local time Sunday. At least three others were injured and the mosque sustained major damage.
Israeli authorities claimed it had targeted an underground "terror compound" where Hamas was operating, but The New York Times and Middle East Eye both reported that the claim could not be independently verified.
"Israeli forces are increasingly and brazenly killing Palestinian children throughout the West Bank."
International attention has largely been turned to Gaza since Israel's bombardment began, with the IDF killing at least 5,087 people in the blockaded enclave since Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant declared a "complete siege" there.
In the West Bank, at least 91 people—including 29 children—have been killed in attacks by Israeli soldiers and settlers since October 7, while the IDF has further restricted the movement of people in the region, where residents regularly face dozens of checkpoints and roadblocks when trying to travel through the territory.
Israeli authorities have closed checkpoints and imposed stringent restrictions on travel across the West Bank's border with Jordan.
IDF soldiers and Israeli settlers have also raided towns and refugee camps including Nour Shams, where soldiers killed 13 Palestinians, including five children, last Thursday in a 24-hour siege.
On Monday, residents of Jalazone refugee camp told Reuters that Israeli soldiers had killed at least two people and made "widespread arrests" in an overnight raid.
"Here at Jalazone refugee camp, the Israeli army carries out raids three to four times a week," Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, head of the services committee for the camp, told Al Jazeera.
At least 35 people in the camp, which is north of the central city of Ramallah, have been detained since October 7.
Among those killed over the weekend was 15-year-old Mohammad Qasem Mohammad Abu Zer, who was shot in the chest by a sniper in the village of Zawata. The boy joined other young people in throwing stones at Israeli military vehicles as the IDF entered their town and surrounded their neighbor's house.
Two other young people who approached Abu Zer after the shooting—including his 18-year-old brother, Jamil, were also shot by Israeli snipers.
"Israeli forces are increasingly and brazenly killing Palestinian children throughout the West Bank," said Ayed Abu Eqtaish, accountability program director at Defense for Children International—Palestine. "At this moment, there is absolutely no check on Israeli aggression as the international community enables war crimes through the provision of weapons and financial and diplomatic support to ensure Israeli forces and officers enjoy impunity regardless of the gravity of crimes."
Violence by settlers has also risen by 40% in the West Bank in the last two weeks, MEE reported.
Three Palestinians in the village of Wadi al-Seeq, 10 miles east of Ramallah, told Haaretz last week that they and a group of pro-Palestinian rights Israeli activists were apprehended by armed settlers and IDF soldiers on October 12 when they were trying to evacuate the town. They were taken to an abandoned building where the soldiers beat and abused them for several hours, with one reporting he was sexually assaulted.
Villagers in the West Bank told the BBC on Saturday that Israeli settlers are "taking advantage" of the international focus on the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza "by entering villages and expelling, and even killing, Palestinian civilians," with the settlers often accompanied by IDF forces.
The Israeli human rights group Israeli B'Tselem told the outlet it has documented "a concerted and organized effort by settlers to use the fact that the entire international and local attention is focused on Gaza and the north of Israel to try to seize land in the West Bank," carrying out a long-term goal of the Israeli government.
"Settlers all over the West Bank see this war as a golden opportunity to torment Palestinians from small communities who are literally defenseless," said Sarit Michaeli, international advocacy lead for B'Tselem, recently.
Last week, Israeli National Security Minister Itar Ben Gvir said the government would purchase 10,000 rifles to arm Israeli civilians, including settlers in the West Bank.
- Rights Group Says Israel Uses Settler Violence Against Palestinians to Take Over West Bank Land ›
- UN Experts Decry Record Year of Israeli Violence in Occupied West Bank ›
- With All Eyes on Gaza, Israeli Soldiers and Settlers Kill Dozens of West Bank Palestinians ›
- Israeli Forces Raid Freedom Theatre in West Bank and Arrest Artists ›
- Israel Jails Palestinian Human Rights Lawyer Diala Ayesh Without Charge ›
- Israeli Filmmaker Faces Death Threats, German Probe After Condemning Apartheid ›
- Opinion | 'This Is Our Land,' Says the Israeli Settler | Common Dreams ›