HUWARA, Palestinian Territories: Israeli settlers on Wednesday wounded a Palestinian and set buildings on fire while raiding two villages in the occupied West Bank after a nearby settlement outpost was evicted by Israeli forces, Palestinian and Israeli sources said.
“Israeli civilians entered the village of Beit Furik” east of the Palestinian city of Nablus, the Israeli army said, adding that they “set property on fire, and hurled stones.”
Local authorities told AFP the attacks took place early on Wednesday morning.
The army said that the settlers reacted after Israeli forces “acted against illegal construction by Israeli civilians adjacent to the town of Beit Furik” on Tuesday night, triggering clashes during which the settlers injured two policemen with stones.
Nahi Hanani, deputy head of the Beit Furik council, told AFP that dozens of settlers attacked the village “setting fire to a truck in front of one house and another vehicle,” early on Wednesday.
“They also set fire to a grocery shop in the village and another house was slightly damaged,” he said.
The army said the Israelis also “set property on fire and threw stones” in Huwara, a town to the south of Nablus.
Rana Abu Hania, spokeswoman for Huwara’s town hall, confirmed to AFP that one resident was injured when settlers attacked the town early on Wednesday.
“They burned two cars and the house of one citizen... The army also demolished a used car lot,” said Abu Hania.
Yusef Awadi, a resident of Huwara, told AFP that settlers burned his brother’s house Wednesday morning.
“They set fire to the Jeep and to the car outside... They entered the house, set it on fire, and then left,” the 66-year-old said, adding that his brother Tayseer was hospitalized.
“He was hit on the head and... was transferred to Rafidia Hospital,” Awadi told AFP, adding that had his brother’s family not been awake, “they would have all burned with the house.”
In a joint statement, the Israeli army and police said that eight suspects were arrested in the investigation into the Beit Furik and Huwara attacks, “for assaulting security forces, engaging in friction, and causing damage to property.”
The army said that there were also clashes between the Israeli army and “about 20 Israelis” in Rujeib, a town closer to Nablus, on Tuesday evening.
The West Bank is home to some three million Palestinians as well as 490,000 Israelis who live in settlements that are considered illegal under international law.
Violence in the occupied Palestinian territory has soared since the war in Gaza erupted on October 7 last year after Hamas’s attack on Israel.
Israeli troops or settlers have killed at least 788 Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the Gaza war, according to the Ramallah-based health ministry.
Palestinian attacks on Israelis have also killed at least 24 people in the West Bank in the same period, according to Israeli official figures.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967.
Israeli settlers raid West Bank towns
https://arab.news/zwx52
Israeli settlers raid West Bank towns
- West Bank is home to some three million Palestinians as well as 490,000 Israelis who live in settlements that are considered illegal under international law
- Violence in the occupied Palestinian territory has soared since the war in Gaza erupted on October 7 last year after Hamas’s attack on Israel
Israel blasts UN aid chief over call to prevent Gaza genocide
“It was an utterly inappropriate and deeply irresponsible statement”
UNITED NATIONS: Israel on Friday blasted the United Nations aid chief for asking the UN Security Council if it would act to “prevent genocide” in the Gaza Strip, where experts say famine looms after Israel blocked aid deliveries to the Palestinian enclave 75 days ago.
While briefing the 15-member body earlier this week, UN aid chief Tom Fletcher said: “Will you act – decisively – to prevent genocide and to ensure respect for international humanitarian law?“
In a letter to Fletcher on Friday, Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon accused him of delivering “a political sermon” and weaponizing the word genocide against Israel, questioning under what authority he made what Israel viewed as an accusation.
“You had the audacity, in your capacity as a senior UN official, to stand before the Security Council and invoke the charge of genocide without evidence, mandate, or restraint,” he wrote. “It was an utterly inappropriate and deeply irresponsible statement that shattered any notion of neutrality.”
A spokesperson for Fletcher did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the letter.
Under international law, genocide is an intent to destroy, in whole or part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. This includes through killings, serious bodily or mental harm and inflicting conditions calculated to bring about physical destruction.
The war in Gaza was triggered on October 7, 2023, when Palestinian militants Hamas killed 1,200 people in southern Israel and took some 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. Since then, Israel’s military campaign has killed more than 53,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
Israel has accused Hamas of stealing aid, which the group denies, and has blocked all aid to Gaza since March 2, demanding Hamas release all remaining hostages.
A global hunger monitor warned on Monday that half a million people face starvation — about a quarter of the population in the enclave.
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that “a lot of people are starving in Gaza.”
Council of Europe: Israel sowing ‘the seeds for the next Hamas’ in Gaza
STRASBOURG: The Council of Europe on Friday said Gaza was suffering from a “deliberate starvation,” and warned that Israel was sowing “the seeds for the next Hamas” in the territory.
“The time for a moral reckoning over the treatment of Palestinians has come — and it is long overdue,” said Dora Bakoyannis, rapporteur for the Middle East at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe.
The 46-member Council of Europe works to safeguard human rights and democracy.
“No cause, no matter how just or pure, can ever justify every means,” Bakoyannis said in a statement.
“The mass killing of children and unarmed civilians, the deliberate starvation, and the relentless pain and humiliation inflicted upon Palestinians in Gaza must end.”
Since March 2, Israeli forces have blocked all humanitarian aid from entering Gaza for its 2.4 million inhabitants, now threatened with famine, according to several NGOs.
Bakoyannis said that “it takes a smart and brave nation to recognize when its actions are causing more harm than good. What is unfolding in Gaza helps no-one.”
Breaking a two-month ceasefire, Israel resumed its offensive on March 18, with the declared goal of obtaining the release of all hostages still held in Gaza.
Israeli retaliations have caused at least 53,010 deaths in Gaza, mostly civilians, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Health, considered reliable by the UN.
The UK government has meanwhile defended supplying fighter jet parts to Israel, telling a London court that suspending exports would compromise Britain’s security and damage relations with Israel and allies.
Government lawyer James Eadie said the UK’s trade department had acted lawfully and that suspending the export licences would have affected a wider international F-35 program, resulting in “extremely serious risks to the UK and international security.”
He added the court was not placed to rule on the legality of Israel’s actions, and that attempting to do so could have a “potentially deleterious” effect on “foreign relations with a friendly state, namely Israel.”
Tripoli back to calm after bout of deadly violence
TRIPOLI: Flights resumed on Friday at Tripoli’s airport as businesses and markets reopened after days of deadly fighting between armed groups in the Libyan capital.
“Last night, for the first time since Monday, residents of the capital were able to sleep without hearing explosions or gunfire,” an Interior Ministry official said.
After the bout of violence that pitted armed groups aligned with the Tripoli government and rival factions it seeks to dismantle, the official said that “we believe the situation is moving toward a ceasefire.”
Tripoli was calm again, with markets, gas stations and other businesses reopening at a
usual pace while many residents headed to mosques for the Friday prayer, AFP reporters said.
Flights to and from Tripoli’s Mitiga airport, which have been suspended since the fighting began early this week, resumed on Friday.
Authorities have deployed teams to clear the streets of barricades, burned-out vehicles and rubble caused by the violence, the latest outburst in Libya, which has remained deeply divided since the 2011 revolt that toppled and killed longtime leader Muammar Qaddafi.
The violence in Tripoli was sparked by the killing of Abdelghani Al-Kikli, head of the Support and Stability Apparatus faction, by the Dbeibah-aligned 444 Brigade.
FASTFACT
Flights to and from Tripoli’s Mitiga airport, which have been suspended since the fighting began early this week, resumed on Friday.
A second wave of clashes pitted the 444 Brigade against another group, the Radaa force, which controls parts of eastern Tripoli and several key state institutions.
A string of executive orders had sought to dismantle Radaa and dissolve other Tripoli-based armed groups, excluding the 444 Brigade.
The UN said on Thursday there was a “truce” in Tripoli, calling on “parties to take urgent steps to sustain and build upon it through dialogue.”
It said that “at least eight civilians” were killed in the clashes, “which drew armed groups from outside the city and subjected heavily populated neighborhoods to heavy artillery fire.”
The Interior Ministry source said authorities were patrolling key parts in Tripoli on Friday, as “armed groups’ vehicles” withdrew from flashpoint areas.
“It’s a positive thing, and it indicates good intentions,” said the source.
The UN support mission in Libya, UNSMIL, had called on Thursday “for all armed formations to return to their barracks without delay.”
UNIFIL condemns attack on patrol in southern Lebanon
- Hezbollah supporters obstructing peacekeeping forces for ‘enforcing freedom of movement’
BEIRUT: Lebanese authorities on Friday were urged to ensure that UN peacekeepers could carry out their mandated tasks without threats or obstruction.
The UN Interim Force in Lebanon, or UNIFIL, “reminds all actors to avoid actions putting UN peacekeepers in danger,” said its spokesperson Andrea Tenenti.
They must respect the inviolability of UN personnel and premises at all times, he stressed.
Tenenti said the routine UN peacekeeping patrol was “pre-planned and coordinated with the Lebanese army.”
The UNIFIL statement came after its patrol was attacked on Friday in southern Lebanon by a large group of people wielding metal sticks and axes.
The attack took place in the villages of Jmayjmeh and Khirbet Silim.
The peacekeepers were confronted when the group attempted to block their movement using aggressive means, according to the UNIFIL statement.
A number of residents in Jmayjmeh in the Bint Jbeil district of southern Lebanon prevented the UNIFIL patrol on Friday from reaching a privately owned area in the town.
However, the incident escalated into gunfire and the use of smoke grenades.
The residents, most of whom are Hezbollah supporters, justified their actions by claiming that “the patrol was not accompanied by the Lebanese army to complete its mission.”
According to journalists in the area and video footage captured by mobile phones, the confrontation escalated to the point where soldiers from the UNIFIL patrol — composed of French, Norwegian, Finnish, and Scottish battalions — fired shots into the air and used tear gas to disperse the crowd, until a Lebanese army patrol arrived and escorted the UNIFIL unit out of the area.
According to the National News Agency, the incident resulted in injuries among both UNIFIL personnel and civilians.
UNIFIL spokesperson Tenenti, in an official statement issued by the UNIFIL command, described the incident from the perspective of the international forces.
He said: “This morning, a UNIFIL patrol conducting a routine operational activity between the villages of Jmayjmeh and Khirbat Silim was confronted by a large group of individuals in civilian clothing.
“The individuals attempted to stop the patrol using aggressive means, wielding metal sticks and axes, resulting in damage to the vehicles. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
“In response, UNIFIL peacekeepers used non-lethal force to ensure the safety of both the peacekeepers and those present.
“The Lebanese Armed Forces were informed and promptly arrived at the scene, subsequently escorting the patrol back to base.”
He stressed: “UNIFIL reminds all actors that its mandate provides freedom of movement within its area of operations in south Lebanon, and any restriction on this violates UN resolution 1701, which authorizes the UNIFIL to operate independently — with or without the Lebanese Armed Forces.
“While we always coordinate our operational activities with the Lebanese forces, our ability to conduct these activities independently does not depend on their presence.”
He added: “It is unacceptable that UNIFIL peacekeepers conducting Security Council-mandated tasks are routinely targeted.”
UNIFIL reiterated that “the freedom of movement of its peacekeepers is essential to accomplishing our mandate, which requires us to be able to act independently and impartially.”
Since the ceasefire agreement took effect in November 2024, attacks on UNIFIL by Hezbollah supporters have continued and escalated, particularly in recent weeks, under the pretext of preventing the UN force from entering private property.
Friday’s attacks coincide with the request made by the Lebanese Cabinet last Wednesday to extend UNIFIL’s mandate for one year.
As usual, the Security Council reviews the request and subsequently renews the mandate of UNIFIL each August.
UNIFIL has maintained a presence south of the Litani River since 1978, deploying around 10,000 troops.
In August 2022, most of the members of the UN Security Council approved the extension of UNIFIL’s mandate after an amendment to the freedom of movement of international peacekeepers.
The amendment stated: “UNIFIL does not require prior authorization or permission to carry out its mandated tasks and is allowed to conduct its operations independently. It emphasized, however, “coordination with the Lebanese government.”
Hezbollah and the Lebanese government, influenced by Hezbollah, had protested against the amendment.
Hezbollah’s then Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah warned against adopting the amendment.
He said: “If they (UNIFIL) intend to act independently of the state and the Lebanese army, which is responsible for movement south of Litani, then they are pushing matters in a direction that is not in their interest.”
Less than four months after the amendment of UNIFIL’s duties, a violent incident — considered the most serious against the peacekeepers — took place in December 2022.
An Irish soldier was killed and three others were injured when their armored vehicle was shot at in the Aaqbiyeh area, north of the Litani River, after they lost their way.
The investigation into the incident in 2023 led to the issuance of an indictment by the military judiciary, accusing five Hezbollah members of premeditated murder.
One of them, Mohammed Ayyad, was arrested, but later that same year, he was released because he was said to be suffering from a terminal illness and did not appear before the judiciary thereafter.
Despite Lebanese objections, UNIFIL’s mandate was renewed in 2023, without altering the amendment.
Hezbollah supporters continued to assault UNIFIL, and incidents have escalated since the ceasefire took effect in November 2024, especially in recent weeks.
Lebanon has, however, pledged to increase the army’s presence along the southern border and has already expanded its deployment.
According to President Joseph Aoun, the Lebanese army “carried out its duties in full south of the Litani River and continues to confiscate weapons and ammunition and to dismantle armed groups.”
A government source speaking to Arab News on condition of anonymity said on Friday that “the new request submitted by the Nawaf Salam government was not accompanied by a request to cancel the amendment rejected by Hezbollah. Instead, it accepted the amendment as it stands.
“Lebanon fears that the US and Israel may seek to add new privileges to UNIFIL in the next mandate extension.
"Meanwhile, the French side, as promised, is working to help Lebanon maintain the extension without any additional amendments.
“In the aftermath of war, Israel has been free to carry out attacks on Lebanon with Washington’s approval. It has repeatedly expressed its dissatisfaction with UNIFIL’s role, which it considers insufficient.”
Also on Friday, a statement signed by the “residents of Jmayjmeh” accused UNIFIL of “overstepping by entering the vicinity of the town’s hills for the second time without being accompanied by the Lebanese army and trespassing onto private property.”
According to the statement, the residents “rushed to inspect the property and asked UNIFIL peacekeepers to retreat and not to go further into the premises.
“However, UNIFIL started quarreling with the residents, throwing tear gas canisters at their eyes and firing bullets, resulting in several injuries.”
Jordan condemns Israeli strike on Gaza’s European Hospital
- Attack left medical facility inoperable, killed at least 28 people
AMMAN: Jordan strongly condemned on Friday Israel’s targeting of the European Hospital in Khan Younis this week, which left the medical facility inoperable and killed at least 28 people, the Jordan News Agency has reported.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates described the strike as a “blatant violation” of international humanitarian law, international legal norms, and the 1949 Geneva Convention on the Protection of Civilians in Time of War.
Sufian Al-Qudah, the spokesperson for the ministry, reiterated Jordan’s firm opposition to Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza.
He condemned what he described as the systematic targeting of civilians and vital infrastructure, and accused Israel of using blockade and starvation tactics to forcibly displace Palestinians.
Al-Qudah also warned of the grave implications Israel’s actions could have on regional security and stability.
He urged the international community to uphold its moral and legal responsibilities by putting pressure on Israel to end its military campaign in Gaza, allow the delivery of humanitarian aid through open crossings, and recognize Palestinians’ right to establish an independent state based on pre-1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The strike drew international condemnation after British doctor Tom Potokar released footage from inside the hospital showing the aftermath of the attack.
The consultant plastic surgeon, who is working in Gaza, told the BBC that six bombs hit the hospital, which resulted in a scene of “absolute mayhem.”
