Israeli raid in Tulkarem
Videos published on social media and verified by Al Jazeera show destroyed infrastructure in Tulkarem, in the occupied West Bank, following an Israeli raid at dawn. As all eyes are on Gaza, people in the occupied Palestinian territory have witnessed nearly daily raids and mass arrests by Israeli forces.
Since the start of the war, at least 358 Palestinians have been killed and thousands have been arrested.
23 Palestinians arrested as Israeli forces raid West Bank’s Hebron: Wafa
Israeli forces have arrested at least 23 Palestinians during extensive raids in the Hebron Governorate of the occupied West Bank tonight, including about 20 people from the town of Dura, Wafa is reporting.
Israeli forces also raided other locations throughout the occupied West Bank overnight, including Tulkarem where Israeli bulldozers were filmed driving through the streets.
مشاهد توثق آثار تجريف آليات الاحتلال الإسرائيلي للبنى التحتية بمدينة طولكرم في الضفة الغربية#فيديو #حرب_غزة pic.twitter.com/cpIhkwprjP
— الجزيرة فلسطين (@AJA_Palestine) April 8, 2024
Israeli army says it killed woman who allegedly tried to stab soldiers at checkpoint
The Israeli army says a “terrorist” was shot dead at a checkpoint in the occupied West Bank after the woman refused to identify herself and then allegedly tried to stab soldiers there.
‘The violence and suffering has gone on too long’
Six months of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah forces in Lebanon have taken a “heavy toll on both sides”, said the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in a post on X.
“The unrelenting cycle of strikes and counterstrikes, in breach of the cessation of hostilities, constitute the most serious violation of Security Council Resolution 1701 since its adoption in 2006,” UNIFIL said.
The UN body also warned of escalating fighting along Lebanon’s southern border.
“The violence and suffering has gone on too long. It must stop,” it said, adding a permanent ceasefire is needed as a long-term solution. “A political process, anchored in the full implementation of Resolution 1701, is now more crucial than ever to address the root causes of the conflict and ensure long-term stability.”
The gradual expansion in the scope and scale of the confrontations well beyond the Blue Line significantly raises the risk of miscalculation and further deterioration of an already alarming situation.
— UNIFIL (@UNIFIL_) April 8, 2024
UN officials in Lebanon urge Israel border de-escalation
United Nations officials have said that six months of violence on the Israel-Lebanon border “must stop”, urging de-escalation “while there is still space for diplomacy”.
“It is six months since the exchanges of fire across the Blue Line began, and continue unabated, taking a heavy toll on both sides,” said a joint statement from UN special coordinator for Lebanon, Joanna Wronecka, and Aroldo Lazaro, head of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).
UNIFIL peacekeepers patrol the so-called Blue Line between Lebanon and Israel, demarcated by the UN in 2000 after Israeli troops pulled out of southern Lebanon. The officials urged all sides to “avail of all avenues to avoid further escalation”.
“The gradual expansion in the scope and scale of the confrontations … significantly raises the risk of miscalculation and further deterioration of an already alarming situation,” the UN officials warned.
Israeli military claims attack on Hezbollah site in southern Lebanon
In a statement on Telegram, the Israeli military has claimed to have carried out an air raid on “Hezbollah military infrastructure” near the Lebanese town of Khiam, about 6km (3.7 miles) from the Israeli border, after it spotted one of the group’s “operatives” there.
The strike comes after Israel’s military reported earlier today that it killed three Hezbollah fighters, including commander Ali Ahmad Hussein, in an overnight air strike in the area of as-Sultaniyah in southern Lebanon.
