Israel hits Bethlehem in Christmas raids on occupied West Bank | Israel-Palestine battle News | USAEMALL.com

Christmas day within the occupied West Bank started with an assault on the Jenin refugee camp and a number of other arrests.

The raid on Monday morning adopted a number of others throughout the territory, which noticed dozens of arrests and the capturing within the neck of a 17-year-old boy. Among cities hit was Bethlehem.

Jenin, generally seen as a logo of Palestinian resistance to occupation, has been repeatedly focused by Israeli forces since its battle with Hamas in Gaza started on October 7.

On Monday, the Jenin-based Freedom Theatre, a preferred image of peace and hope that was just lately raided and vandalised by Israeli troopers, described how Israeli forces lit up the sky “with flare bombs” while raiding the camp.

Reporting from the Jenin refugee camp, Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan stated that the Israeli military raided at the least 10 homes saying they have been in search of Palestinians to arrest. However, no detentions have been made.

“Israeli forces did call for Palestinian fighters to come out and give themselves up but that didn’t happen either. Residents are telling us that this is simply a campaign of harassment,” Khan stated.

“Jenin refugee camp is now the most raided camp in the occupied West Bank. The Israeli forces are destroying any symbol of resistance or nationalism in the camp.”

While the raids within the camp and Jenin area have now reportedly ended, at the least 9 younger males have been arrested within the al-Jalama village, northeast of Jenin.

Regions in and close to Nablus, Jericho, Ramallah and Bethlehem – which Christians consider is the birthplace of Jesus Christ – have been additionally raided in a single day by Israeli forces, Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut reported.

In the village of Burqa, northwest of the town of Nablus within the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces arrested at the least 20 individuals, together with senior residents.

Moreover, Palestinian information company Wafa stated {that a} 17-year-old boy was injured after he was hit within the neck when Israeli forces fired dwell ammunition throughout a raid within the city of Aqaba, north of Tubas.

Wafa reported that Israeli forces additionally arrested one other resident of Tubas earlier than withdrawing from the city.

Increased violence within the occupied West Bank

The West Bank has seen surging violence and arrests in parallel to Israel’s battle on the Gaza Strip which has killed greater than 20,000 Palestinians.

Israel says it’s concentrating on Hamas in Gaza, however the violence within the West Bank is happening regardless of Hamas having restricted presence within the territory.

Israeli incursions into the West Bank have killed at the least 303 Palestinians since October 7.

In addition to the actions of Israel’s army, assaults by Israeli settlers are additionally on the rise.

At least 700,000 Israeli settlers dwell in unlawful, fortified, Jewish-only settlements throughout the West Bank and East Jerusalem, the vast majority of which have been constructed both totally or partially on non-public Palestinian land.

Attacks, which have elevated exponentially over the previous three months, embody shootings, stabbings, rock throwing and beatings, in addition to arson and critical injury to houses, autos and agricultural land.

The United Nations famous that “in nearly half of all incidents, Israeli forces were either accompanying or actively supporting the attackers”.

Rights teams, Palestinians, and a few within the worldwide group have slammed Israel for not doing sufficient to cease settler violence.

Earlier this month, international locations like Belgium and the United States introduced they’d impose visa restrictions on “extremist” Israeli settlers concerned in undermining peace, safety or stability within the occupied West Bank.

At a cupboard assembly on Sunday, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s authorities ratified a choice to assign $21m to help new settlements within the occupied West Bank.