Wed 22 February 2023:
An Israeli army raid in the city of Nablus in the occupied West Bank resulted in at least 10 Palestinian deaths and numerous injuries.
According to the Palestinian health ministry, 102 people were hurt on Wednesday, 82 of whom were hit by live ammunition. Six people were in serious condition.
Widespread confrontations broke out soon after the army stormed Nablus with dozens of armoured vehicles and special forces at 10am (08:00 GMT).
The army blocked off all entrances to the city before surrounding a home with two wanted Palestinian fighters, Hossam Isleem and Mohammad Abdulghani, who were both killed.
The Lions’ Den armed group said in a statement it engaged in clashes with Israeli forces during the raid, alongside the recently announced Balata Brigades. Young Palestinians pelted armoured troop transports with rocks.
The Israeli army said “security forces are now operating in the city of Nablus” but did not provide further details.
Reporting from Nablus, Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim said witnesses described Israeli soldiers opening fire indiscriminately.
“We are hearing stories that Israeli forces were shooting at the neighbours, people in their houses, people going about their daily lives. Palestinians say Israel is acting this way because it is not being held accountable and has a freehand killing Palestinians.”
Nablus and nearby Jenin have been the focus of violent incursions that Israel has intensified over the last year. The cities are where “the concentration of armed resistance is growing”, according to Palestinian journalist Mariam Barghouti of the news site Mondoweiss.
“Even though it is expanding to other areas of the West Bank, the Lion’s Den and the Jenin Brigade continue to be the epicentre of Palestinian armed resistance and new youth groups fighting, which is why they have become a target,” Barghouti told Al Jazeera.
‘Escalating crimes’
In the Old City of Nablus, people stared at the rubble that had been a large home with nearby shops riddled with bullet holes. Parked cars were crushed. Blood stained the cement and furniture from the destroyed home was scattered among mounds of debris.
In the Gaza Strip, a spokesman for the governing Hamas party issued a veiled threat. “The resistance in Gaza is observing the enemy’s escalating crimes against our people in the occupied West Bank, and its patience is running out,” said Abu Obeida.
Palestinian political parties announced a general strike in the cities of Ramallah and Nablus on Wednesday in response, calling on Palestinians to come out in protest near Israeli army checkpoints.
The number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces since the start of 2023 has now risen to 61 people, including 13 children, in the occupied territories.
“We condemn the occupation’s raid into Nablus and we call for an end to the continued attacks against our people,” said Nabil Abu Rudeineh, spokesperson for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:
TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent
FACEBOOK (CLICK HERE)
https://web.facebook.com/ipindependent
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
