Israeli military fired on refugees 5 dead reported
2023.03.07 12:05
Israeli military fired on refugees 5 dead reported
By Tiffany Smith
Budrigannews.com – According to the Palestinian health ministry, Israeli forces carried out a raid on a refugee camp on Tuesday and surrounded a house in the volatile West Bank city of Jenin. The operation resulted in the deaths of at least five Palestinians and the injuries of nine others.
Channel 12 television in Israel reported that one of the deceased was thought to have shot two brothers last week from a Jewish settlement near the Palestinian village of Huwara. However, the Israeli military did not immediately provide any official confirmation or details regarding the operation.
Helicopters were seen hovering above a line of military vehicles as they entered Jenin, one of the major hubs of armed Palestinian factions in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to social media footage.
The latest flashpoint in months of worsening violence in the West Bank is Huwara, a Palestinian village near a major road junction where settlers and Palestinians frequently clash.
Overnight on Monday, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinians in the village, which was the scene of a violent rampage by dozens of settlers last week in retaliation for the shooting of two Israelis who were sitting in their car in traffic.
In Huwara, crowds of what the military referred to as “a number of violent rioters” were dispersed by the Israeli army and border police. A group of youths dressed in black attacked a Palestinian car in social media videos before the driver got away.
Omar Khalifa, who had just finished grocery shopping and had gotten into the car with his family when the assault occurred, stated, “My wife was sitting in the back and she hugged our daughter to cover her.” There was a real threat to our lives, and we could have lost her.”
On the Jewish holiday of Purim, other footage appeared to show Israeli soldiers dancing alongside Jewish settlers in the town. Gentlemen, Huwara has been conquered!” Hebrew is spoken by a voice.
The military didn’t resolve an inquiry concerning the recording of warriors hitting the dance floor with pioneers when it answered a solicitation for data on the episode. It also did not immediately respond to Reuters’ inquiry regarding the number of arrests.
After two brothers were shot by a suspected Palestinian as they sat in their car at a nearby checkpoint, settlers in Huwara set dozens of cars and houses on fire.
A senior Israeli commander referred to the rampage as a “pogrom,” which sparked worldwide outrage and condemnation. This was made worse when ultra-nationalist Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who is in charge of some aspects of the administration of the West Bank, said that Huwara should be “erased.” Smotrich issued a partial retract later.
Overnight, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken reiterated his calls for both sides to reduce tensions in the West Bank. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to bring up the violence during his visit this week.
More than 65 Palestinians, including militant fighters and civilians, have been killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of the year. At the same time, Palestinians have killed 13 Israelis and a Ukrainian woman in a series of attacks that appeared to be unrelated.
