Israel’s opposition leaders slam attack on Arab member of Knesset
Leading opposition figures Yair Lapid and Yair Golan have strongly condemned the attack on lawmaker Ayman Odeh that we reported on earlier.
“I condemn the violence against Knesset member Odeh and call on the police to find those responsible and bring them to justice. There is no place for political violence in a democratic state,” Lapid wrote in a post on X.
Golan wrote that the attack is a direct result of “prolonged political incitement” and attempts to vote in the Knesset to earlier this week to expel Odeh because he has spoken about the mass killings in Gaza.
“This is an attack on the entire Arab minority in Israel,” he said, adding that the opposition will continue to try to oust the government and “will not surrender to the hatred and racism coming directly” from Prime Minister Benjamin and his far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir.
Settlers Storm Old City of Hebron under protection of Israeli soldiers
Verified footage circulating on Palestinian social media shows that a large number of settlers stormed the Old City in Hebron in the occupied West Bank this evening under protection from Israeli forces.
Heavily armed soldiers stood guard, with local platforms reporting that Israeli forces prevented journalists from moving to cover the settler advances.
Israeli forces also launched a raid on the village of Anza, south of Jenin city in northern West Bank, using armoured vehicles.
More details on Israel’s killing of Palestinian child near Jenin
Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCIP) has released more information on the Israeli military’s killing of a 13-year-old Palestinian boy yesterday near Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
DCIP said Israeli forces opened fire on Amr Ali Qabha after he unknowingly approached the army, which had taken up positions in the village of Yabad.
Qabha was hit by seven bullets – three in the back, one in the neck, one in the abdomen, one in the upper thigh and one in the groin – from a distance of 10m (33 feet), the rights group said.
Israeli soldiers then beat and detained the boy’s father, who had managed to reach his son, and prevented ambulances from reaching Qabha to provide medical treatment.
“Systemic impunity creates an ultra permissive context where Israeli forces know no bounds and routinely shoot to kill Palestinian children in circumstances where there is no imminent threat to life,” Ayed Abu Eqtaish, DCIP’s accountability programme director, said in a statement.
“Unlawful killings of Palestinian children have become the norm as Israeli forces become increasingly empowered to use intentional lethal force in situations that are not justified. In short, these are war crimes with no consequence.”
