At least eleven Palestinians, including four children, were injured this Friday (July 31) during a joint action by Israeli settlers and soldiers in the Junaid neighborhood of Nablus, according to medical sources heard by Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera.
One of the victims was shot in the abdomen. Also on Friday, Israeli troops arrested at least ten people in different parts of the West Bank, including Nablus, Tal, Salem and Bethlehem.
In a statement, the Israeli army confirmed that Israeli civilians entered Area A – a sector under Palestinian administration where settler entry is prohibited by Israel's own legislation. The region has been the target of attacks by settlers who invade the territory, intimidate the community and uproot fruit trees. There are also reports of cattle poisoning and shootings at vehicles on the roads.
Still according to the military, there are reports that a Palestinian cemetery was vandalized by Israeli settlers. Earlier on Friday, the Israeli newspaper Times of Israel recorded soldiers accompanying a settlers' march through the village of Sarra, near Nablus.
A day earlier, on Thursday (July 30), Israeli soldiers had occupied four Palestinian homes in Tal, turning them into military bases – a move that preceded a call for settlers to hold a mass march through the city, in response to the deaths of two Israelis during a clash the previous week.
City of Nablus, target of Israeli settler invasions
Hadi Hijjawi / Wikimedia Commons
Israeli offensive
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said last Tuesday (July 28) that he had instructed the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to prepare to take control of another refugee camp in the West Bank and expel its Palestinian residents.
The announcement came amid a climate of tension that had been building for days. Recent accounts from residents speak of a constant feeling of fear and insecurity. The governor of Nablus, Ghassan Daghlas, denounced to French broadcaster RFI how easily Israeli authorities allow new invasions of Palestinian areas.
The origin of the current wave of violence dates back to July 24, when a clash in the village of Tal ended with four Palestinians dead. The episode was followed by settler attacks on Palestinian villages, giving rise to the current Israeli military operation in the region.
