Page 4 - West Bank

Israeli army fire kills Palestinian man during clashes at West Bank shrine

Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian man near a shrine in the occupied West Bank on Thursday, Palestinian health officials said, in the latest bloodshed in a cycle of violence that has gripped the region. The months of fighting with rising fatalities have shown no signs of abating and has become the worst violence between Israel and the Palestinians in the West Bank in nearly two decades. Thursday's shooting took place as Israeli forces escorted Israeli worshippers, including the Israeli police chief and the head of the local Jewish settler council, to a site known as the biblical Joseph's Tomb in the Palestinian city of Nablus. The shrine has long been a flashpoint for clashes between Palestinians and Israeli troops. Nablus has also become a central point of violence in the current escalation. The Israeli military said that during the visit, suspects opened fire and threw explosives, rocks and burning tires at troops, who returned fire. Palestinian news agency Wafa identi

Palestinian kills Israeli soldier in West Bank day after Israel's raid

A Hamas militant on Thursday opened fire near an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank, killing an Israeli soldier, a day after Israeli forces withdrew from the largest military operation in the West Bank in two decades. The Palestinian attacker was shot and killed by Israeli forces, the army said. The shooting came on the heels of the Israeli withdrawal from the nearby Jenin refugee camp after a two-day offensive meant to crack down on Palestinian militants. The operation destroyed the camp's narrow roads and alleyways, sent thousands of people fleeing their homes and killed 12 Palestinians. One Israeli soldier also was killed. Thursday's shooting near the West Bank settlement of Kedumim raised questions about the effectiveness of the Israeli raid, which came after nearly a year and a half of Israeli-Palestinian bloodshed in the area. It also could prompt calls from members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right government for additional military incursions. Finan

Israel withdraws troops from West Bank, warns 2-day raid is not a one-off

The Israeli military withdrew its troops from a militant stronghold in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, ending an intense two-day operation that killed at least 13 Palestinians, drove thousands of people from their homes and left a wide swath of damage in its wake. One Israeli soldier was also killed. The army claimed to have inflicted heavy damage on militant groups in the Jenin refugee camp in an operation that included a series of airstrikes and hundreds of ground troops. But it remained unclear whether there would be any long-lasting effect after nearly a year and a half of heavy fighting in the West Bank. Ahead of the withdrawal, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to carry out similar operations if needed. At these moments we are completing the mission, and I can say that our extensive operation in Jenin is not a one-off, he said during a visit to a military post on the outskirts of Jenin. We will eradicate terrorism wherever we see it and we will strike at ..

Israel launches biggest incursion in West Bank in 20 yrs, kills at least 8

Troops remained inside the Jenin refugee camp at midday on Monday, pushing ahead with the largest operation in the area during more than a year of fighting

Israel launches major operation in West Bank, at least seven killed

Israeli military forces carried out a massive operation in the West Bank City Jenin, killing seven people and wounding 27 militants. No Israeli soldier was hurt during the operation

UN urges Israel, Palestinians to halt violence in statement backed by US

The UN Security Council has urged Israel and the Palestinians to avoid actions that can further inflame tensions in the volatile West Bank. The statement was backed by both the United States and Russia in a moment of unity on a divisive issue, reflecting the widespread international concern at the escalating violence especially by Israeli forces and settlers. Tuesday's statement followed what UN Mideast envoy Tor Wennesland called an alarming spike in violence in the West Bank that led to numerous Palestinian and Israeli casualties. He warned the council that unless decisive steps are taken now to rein in the violence, there is a significant risk that events could deteriorate further. Wennesland said he was particularly alarmed by the extreme levels of settler violence, including large numbers of settlers, many armed, systematically attacking Palestinian villages, terrorizing communities, sometimes with support from Israeli forces. Council members called for restraint and encourage

Israel govt to approve 'thousands' of building permits in West Bank

Thousands of permits to be given despite US pressure to halt settlement expansion, which is seen as an obstacle to peace with Palestinians

West Bank shooting attack casts shadow over Israel-Palestinian talks

Israeli and Palestinian officials were meeting on Sunday in the Egyptian resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh in a bid to ease tensions between the sides and rein in a spiral of violence ahead of a sensitive holiday period beginning this week. But as the talks continued, Israeli officials said two people were wounded, one seriously, in a West Bank shooting attack that immediately raised questions about the prospects for the new talks. The meeting was the second attempt by the sides, shepherded by regional allies Egypt and Jordan as well as the US, to end a year-long spasm of violence that has seen more than 200 Palestinians killed by Israeli fire and more than 40 Israelis or foreigners killed in Palestinian attacks. Whatever progress emerged out of the previous meeting in Jordan late last month, which ended with pledges to de-escalate tensions, was quickly derailed when a new burst of violence erupted on the same day. A Palestinian gunman shot and killed two Israelis in the occupied West

European nations condemn West Bank violence, urge to rekindle peace talks

A group of European countries expressed grave concern Saturday that recent violence in the West Bank could derail efforts to rekindle peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians as they called on both sides to restore calm. The United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain issued a joint statement condemning attacks against both Israelis and Palestinians following an outbreak of violence that left three people dead in the occupied West Bank town of Hawara. These acts can lead nowhere, except to more violence, the European nations said. Those responsible must face full accountability and legal prosecution. All unilateral actions that threaten peace and incitement to violence must cease.'' Scores of Israeli settlers rampaged through Hawara on Feb. 26, setting dozens of cars and homes on fire after two settlers were killed by a Palestinian gunman. Palestinian medics said one man was killed and four others were badly wounded in one of the worst outbreaks of settler violen

10 Palestinians killed, 102 injured in clashes with Israeli soldiers

A total of 10 Palestinians were killed and 102 others injured in clashes with Israeli soldiers in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry

Palestinians protest US visit to West Bank as tension rises with Israel

'The matter is very simple. Blinken came here to pressure the Palestinian leadership to not adopt any decision against the security cooperation with Israel'

Israeli troops kill 10 in West Bank violence, many wounded: Palestinians

Israeli forces killed at least nine Palestinians, including a 61-year-old woman, and wounded several others in a large-scale raid on Thursday in a flashpoint area of the occupied West Bank, Palestinian officials said. It was the deadliest single operation in the territory in two decades. The Israeli military also fatally shot a 22-year-old Palestinian later in a separate incident. The raid in the Jenin refugee camp increases the risk of a major flare-up in Israeli-Palestinian fighting days, poses a test for Israel's new hard-line government and casts a shadow on US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's expected trip to the region next week. Hamas, the Islamist militant group that controls Gaza, threatened revenge. Violent escalations in the West Bank have previously triggered retaliatory rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces in the West Bank and on the country's border with Gaza went on heightened alert. Protesters poured into the streets across the territory, chanting in .

Israeli PM-designate Netanyahu agrees to annex West Bank in coalition deal

Israel's Prime Minister-designate Benjamin Netanyahu has agreed to annex the occupied West Bank in a coalition deal that was made public

Israeli ultra-orthodox army unit linked to American's death exits West Bank

The Israeli military said on Wednesday it is temporarily removing a unit of ultra-Orthodox soldiers out of the occupied West Bank after a 78-year-old Palestinian-American man died following an arrest by its soldiers early this year. The army said the Netzah Yehuda Battalion will be moved to the Golan Heights, along Israel's northern front with Syria, by the end of the year. The announcement made no mention of the death of Omar Assad, who died after being detained, handcuffed and blindfolded by Israeli soldiers. Instead, it said the decision was made out of a desire to diversify their operational deployment in multiple areas, in addition to accumulating more operational experience. It said the unit would return to the West Bank at the end of next year. Netzah Yehuda, or Judea Forever, is a special unit for ultra-Orthodox Jewish soldiers. The unit was formed to encourage religious men, who often receive special exemptions from compulsory military service, to join the army. But its ..

Israel deploys remote-controlled robotic guns, stun grenades in West Bank

In two volatile spots in the occupied West Bank, Israel has installed robotic weapons that can fire tear gas, stun grenades and sponge-tipped bullets at Palestinian protesters. The weapons, perched over a crowded Palestinian refugee camp and in a flashpoint West Bank city, use artificial intelligence to track targets. Israel says the technology saves lives both Israeli and Palestinian. But critics see another step toward a dystopian reality in which Israel fine-tunes its open-ended occupation of the Palestinians while keeping its soldiers out of harm's way. The new weapon comes at a time of heightened tensions in the occupied West Bank, where unrest has risen sharply during what has been the deadliest year since 2006. The victory by former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-line alliance, which includes an extreme right-wing party with close ties to the settler movement, has raised concerns of more violence. Twin turrets, each equipped with a watchful lens and a gun barrel, .

2 Israelis stabbed to death by Palestinian attacker in West Bank

Israel's emergency service says that two Israelis have been killed by a Palestinian attacker in a stabbing in the occupied West Bank. The Magen David Adom paramedic service says the two were killed in Tuesday's attack in the West Bank settlement of Ariel. Earlier, the Israeli military said the attacker was shot as he tried to flee the scene. The Palestinian Health Ministry said confirmed he was killed. Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid sent condolences to the families of those killed in the attack and said Israel was fighting terror nonstop and full force. Our security forces are working around the clock to protect Israeli citizens and harm terror infrastructure everywhere, all the time, he said.

Govt asks Kolkata Metro to compensate Bowbazar victims for cracks in houses

The West Bengal government on Saturday asked Kolkata Metro to compensate families whose houses in the Bowbazar area have developed cracks due to construction work of the East-West Corridor with Rs 5 lakh each within a month, mayor Firhad Hakim said. The affected shop owners of the area will also be compensated for the loss of livelihood based on a formula derived by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) -- Rs 1.5 lakh for up to 100 sq ft, and Rs 5 lakh if more than 100 sq ft, he said. The decision was taken in a meeting at state secretariat Nabanna, chaired virtually by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Besides Hakim, Chief Secretary HK Dwivedi, Home Secretary GP Gopalika, Kolkata Police commissioner Vineet Goyal, KMC commissioner Binod Kumar and senior officers of Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (KMRCL) and experts from Jadavpur University were present in the meeting. At least 12 houses in Madan Dutta Lane developed cracks since Friday morning, following water seepage during wo

Tension in West Bank fuels atmosphere of fear, hatred: UN official

An escalation of tension in the West Bank would fuel an atmosphere of fear, hatred and anger between Israelis and Palestinians, a senior UN official has warned

Two Palestinians killed in Israel during military raid in West Bank

Israeli soldiers shot and killed two Palestinians on Saturday in an exchange of fire that erupted during a military raid in the West Bank, according to Israeli and Palestinian accounts, in the latest confrontation that has made 2022 the deadliest year of violence in the occupied territory since 2015. The raid occurred in the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank, the site of repeated clashes between Israeli forces and local gunmen and residents. The camp is known as a stronghold of Palestinian militants and the army often operates there. Palestinian officials said soldiers entered the camp early Saturday and surrounded a house. In videos circulated on social media, exchanges of fire could be heard. The Palestinian Health Ministry reported two dead and 11 wounded, three of them critically. The official Wafa news agency said both of the dead were 17-year-old boys. The Israeli military said it had arrested a 25-year-old operative from the Islamic Jihad militant group who has ...

Palestine urges Europe to put pressure on Israel against West Bank conflict

Palestine has urged the European countries to tie their relations with Israel to its adherence to international law, UN resolutions, and human rights principles