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Settler attacks taking place across West Bank
Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank are being targeted by Israeli settlers after a Palestinian gunman killed two people near the Eli settlement.
The Palestinian news agency Wafa is reporting the following:
- Settlers established an outpost consisting of six caravans on the lands of the al-Lubban Asharqiya village south of Nablus. On Thursday evening, a group of settlers attacked some residents in the same village, which is located near seven settlements, including Eli.
- Residents in the town of Jalud, southeast of Nablus, were attacked by settlers in the early morning hours.
- Attacks on Palestinian private vehicles have been reported east of Hebron.
- Settlers demolished two agricultural barracks in Kisan, east of Bethlehem, belonging to a Palestinian resident.
Israeli army needs 7,000 new soldiers, says report
Israeli news outlet YNet is reporting that the army needs to bolster its personnel and requires 7,000 new soldiers, half of which would be transferred to maintain its war efforts in Gaza. Earlier this week, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said all parts of Israeli society, especially the ultra-Orthodox, to be drafted into the military and referred to it as a matter of “national need”.
“To attain the goals of the war, to handle the threats from Gaza, from Lebanon, from Judea and Samaria, and to prepare for the emerging threats from the east, we need unity and partnership in decisions about our future,” Gallant said in a news conference on Wednesday. He added that drafting all of society was “essential to winning the war” and a “national-security matter of utmost importance”.
Shooting of aid seekers in Gaza makes headlines in Israel
The Maariv newspaper, which tends to lean to the left, leads today’s edition by saying “Dozens killed in line for aid, Hamas says Israel responsible”. Yedioth Ahronoth, which leans towards the right, has a night-vision picture of a Palestinian crowd gathering around a food truck with a headline saying the “massacre of the breadline” did not happen at the hands of Israel.
In some newspapers, the news didn’t make the front page, so this is being covered in all sorts of ways, especially when it comes to attributing responsibility.
The Israeli army has blamed crowding, trampling and “Gaza truck drivers” for the deaths. A military official later said the troops “opened fire at the crowd” after some Palestinians began heading towards Israeli forces in a way that “endangered” them.
Israelis view this as an example of the kind of challenges that the army will be facing if it remains in Gaza and takes responsibility for the two million people there. A lot of commentators are saying this is the kind of incident we can expect more of in the future.
Footage shows barricades preventing access to Al-Aqsa Mosque
Footage shared on Palestinian Telegram groups shows the Israeli army erecting barricades in front of Lions’ Gate and preventing worshippers from reaching Al-Aqsa Mosque to perform the Friday prayer in occupied East Jerusalem. The video shows a group of Israeli soldiers with their faces partially covered pushing away a Palestinian man who approached the gate.
Restrictions on access to the site have long caused friction, particularly around the month of Ramadan, which is expected to begin this year on March 10. PM Netanyahu’s office said it will impose some restrictions on access to al-Aqsa Mosque during the Muslim holy month according to “security needs”.
Far right Israelis storm Gaza boundary to build illegal settlement
Far-right Israeli activists forced their way through an Israeli military checkpoint and entered Gaza near the Beit Hanoon (known as Erez to Israelis) crossing, but were prevented from carrying building materials into the Palestinian territory in order to establish an illegal settlement.
A group of approximately 100 far-right activists took part and some advanced as much as 500 metres (0.3 miles) into Gaza, according to reports.
Images captured the activists building a temporary settlement in an Israeli military zone between a boundary fence and a wall separating Israel from the war-torn Gaza Strip.
Israeli far-right activists carry material for building temporary shelters as they rallied and crossed into Gaza on Thursday
Far-right Israelis build a structure in the military zone between Gaza and Israel when prevented from carrying the material into Gaza
Biden urges Republicans to pass military aid bill so ‘Israel can defend itself’
A statement from US President Joe Biden has urged House Republicans to pass a foreign aid bill in order to “help ensure that Israel can defend itself against Hamas and other threats”.
Biden said the bipartisan national security supplemental package, which House Republicans are refusing to hold a vote on, will also provide “critical humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people”. “Because the truth is, the aid flowing into Gaza is nowhere near enough, and nowhere fast enough. Innocent lives are on the line,” the statement said.
Biden’s call comes as Israeli soldiers opened fire on a crowd of hungry Palestinians waiting for food aid in Gaza City, killing more than 100 people and causing a stampede.
The bill that also bans future funding of UNWRA
