Israel hits Bethlehem in Christmas raids on occupied West Bank | Israel-Palestine conflict News

Christmas day within the occupied West Financial institution 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 taking pictures within the neck of a 17-year-old boy. Amongst cities hit was Bethlehem.

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

On Monday, the Jenin-based Freedom Theatre, a well-liked 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.

Christmas Day begins with one other assault on Jenin Refugee Camp, because the Israeli military lights up the sky with Flare bombs.

25.12.23#Mayday Created by @freedom_theatre & @artistfrontline #Jenin #JeninUnderAttack #Palestine #Theatre #جنين pic.twitter.com/u44NnedJUg

— The Freedom Theatre (@freedom_theatre) December 25, 2023

Reporting from the Jenin refugee camp, Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan stated that the Israeli military raided at the very least 10 homes saying they had been searching for Palestinians to arrest. Nevertheless, no detentions had been made.

“Israeli forces did name for Palestinian fighters to come back out and provides themselves up however that didn’t occur both. Residents are telling us that that is merely a marketing campaign of harassment,” Khan stated.

“Jenin refugee camp is now probably the most raided camp within the occupied West Financial institution. The Israeli forces are destroying any image of resistance or nationalism within the camp.”

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

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

Within the village of Burqa, northwest of town of Nablus within the occupied West Financial institution, Israeli forces arrested at the very least 20 individuals, together with senior residents.

Furthermore, Palestinian information company Wafa stated {that a} 17-year-old boy was injured after he was hit within the neck when Israeli forces fired stay 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.

Elevated violence within the occupied West Financial institution

The West Financial institution 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 focusing on Hamas in Gaza, however the violence within the West Financial institution is going down regardless of Hamas having restricted presence within the territory.

Israeli incursions into the West Financial institution have killed at the very least 303 Palestinians since October 7.

Along with the actions of Israel’s army, assaults by Israeli settlers are additionally on the rise.

No less than 700,000 Israeli settlers stay in unlawful, fortified, Jewish-only settlements throughout the West Financial institution and East Jerusalem, the vast majority of which had been constructed both completely or partially on non-public Palestinian land.

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

The United Nations noted that “in practically half of all incidents, Israeli forces had been both 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, nations like Belgium and the US announced they might impose visa restrictions on “extremist” Israeli settlers concerned in undermining peace, safety or stability within the occupied West Financial institution.

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 Financial institution.