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SvennoJ on 15 September 2024

Israel bombards southern Lebanon


Smoke billows from the site of an Israeli air strike that targeted the southern area of Dimachqiyeh on Sunday


Israel also bombarded the Litani River and the al-Mahmoudieh district of southern Lebanon on Sunday


Smoke could also be seen rising after Israeli bombardment in the southern area of al-Aaichiyeh on Sunday

Families flee south Lebanon after Israeli leaflets call for evacuations


Dozens of families left the border village of al-Wazzani in southern Lebanon, taking their belongings with them, on Sunday. The Israeli military dropped leaflets ordering people to leave the village and warning them immediately leave their homes and head north.

The military said the leaflets were “not approved by the Northern Command” and that “an investigation has been opened”.

United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, peacekeepers could be seen patrolling the area as the families left.



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SvennoJ on 15 September 2024

Two Palestinians wounded in Israeli raids on Balata

The Wafa news agency is reporting that Israeli forces shot an 18-year-old Palestinian man in the thigh as they withdrew from the Balata refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.

The soldiers also beat and wounded a second young man, aged 23, before they left the camp, Wafa added.

The refugee camp, which is in Nablus in the northern occupied West Bank, has repeatedly been targeted by Israeli forces.

Israeli raids reported across the occupied West Bank

Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic are reporting that Israeli soldiers have raided several locations across the occupied West Bank tonight.

Here’s where the raids have been reported:

  • the al-Masayef neighbourhood in the city of Ramallah in the central occupied West Bank
  • the Aida refugee camp north of Bethlehem in the southern West Bank
  • the city of Qalqilya, from both its southern and northern entrances.

Palestinian doctor mourns five members of her family killed in Israeli attack

On Sunday, we reported that at least five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli raid on Salah al-Din Street in the Zeitoun neighbourhood of Gaza City.

The AFP news agency is now reporting that the five people were all from the Alborno family, who were returning to the neighbourhood to check on their home after Israeli forces withdrew from the area.

Another member of their family, Dr Najwa Alborno, was working at the al-Ahli Arab Hospital when the bodies of her relatives were brought there.


Palestinian doctor Najwa Alborno mourns as the five members of her family killed in an Israeli attack are brought to the al-Ahli Arab Hospital where she works



SvennoJ on 16 September 2024

Casualties as Israel attacks Nuseirat refugee camp



Our colleagues at Al Jazeera Arabic are reporting that several Palestinians have been wounded in an Israeli attack on a house near the Qassam cemetery in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza.

Our colleagues on the ground now confirm that at least 10 Palestinians have been killed in the attack and another 15 wounded. Wafa is reporting that several children and women were among the 10 Palestinians killed in Israel’s attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp.

The house that was bombed belonged to the al-Qassas family, the agency added.



Israeli artillery also shelled the northern areas of the city of Rafah in southern Gaza, Al Jazeera Arabic added.


Palestinians clear out their flooded tents on Khan Younis beach


Displaced Palestinians living in tents along the coast of Khan Younis in the south of the Gaza Strip clear their tents after they were flooded during a high tide


Many Palestinians have been forced to set up their tents along Gaza’s coastline as Israel’s army bombarded the besieged enclaves’ cities and refugee camps


Two more Palestinians killed in Rafah

The Palestinian Civil Defence said on Telegram that its crews have recovered the bodies of two dead Palestinians and rescued many wounded people following an attack on the Abu Shaar family home in the southern city of Rafah.

The report comes as Israeli forces also hit the central Nuseirat refugee camp and the northern Gaza City, killing at least 20 others.


Generations lost amid ongoing Israeli attacks

Overnight, there were more wholesale mass killings of civilians. And what’s really concerning, as seen over the past couple of months, are the deliberate attacks on families.

Every time we see a funeral procession here at the hospital, we find at least two or three generations of family members killed – the grandparents, parents and their children.

There are also many injuries here at the hospital with tens of people in line to access medical care. Some of them are at risk of dying as the medical staff here is under immense pressure.

The hospital is almost running out of medical supplies too. Items as simple as bandages and antiseptic are not available here.


Israeli attack on bakery in Gaza kills five Palestinians

Five people were killed after an Israeli attack on a bakery in al-Sumoud camp for displaced Palestinians in the al-Mawasi area, Wafa news agency is reporting. Injuries as a result of the attack were also reported.

According to medical sources who spoke to Al Jazeera, the number of people killed since dawn is now 21.

 

Last edited by SvennoJ - on 16 September 2024

SvennoJ on 16 September 2024

Pregnant Palestinian woman miscarries after Israeli raid on Hebron

A Palestinian woman suffered a miscarriage after Israeli soldiers violently assaulted her family during a raid on the southern neighbourhood of Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, the Wafa news agency is reporting.

She was taken to hospital, Wafa added.

The attack came after Israeli settlers stormed Hebron on Saturday night, firing at Palestinians’ homes and vandalising property, Wafa added.


Armed Israeli soldiers and settlers marched through the Old City area of Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, on Saturday


What’s happening across the occupied West Bank?

Our colleagues on the ground are reporting that Israeli soldiers raided several locations across the occupied West Bank overnight and this morning. Here’s where some of the raids have been reported:

  • A large contingent of Israeli soldiers raided the Shu’fat camp east of occupied East Jerusalem.
  • In Nablus, the Israeli army raided the western part of the city, al-Ein camp and its surroundings.
  • They also stormed the towns of Urif, Burqa and Sarra near Nablus leading to confrontations.
  • A Palestinian was shot and another was hit by Israeli gunfire during a raid on the Balata camp east of the city.
  • In Ramallah, Israeli forces raided the towns of Ni’lin, Ras Karkar, Deir Ammar, Turmus Aya and Jalazone camp.
  • Several arrests were made, including three from the Deheishe camp near Bethlehem, three from the Aqbat Jabr camp in Jericho, a child and father in the town of al-Jiftlik north of Jericho, and two from Qalqilya.


Palestinian dies from injuries sustained in drone strike in West Bank

Saif Mithqal Abu Dawas, 27, has died from injuries sustained in a drone strike in Tubas earlier this month, Wafa is reporting. The strike that targeted a vehicle on September 5 also killed other people.

Dawas died in a hospital in Jenin, the report said, adding that the Factions Coordination Committee in Tubas announced a general strike following his death.


Palestinian economy in West Bank on the brink of collapse

With unemployment rising, some labourers in the occupied West Bank have returned to farming to survive.

Until a few months ago, the town of Beit Dajan, with a population of 5,000, planted and produced almost nothing. Most young men there worked as manual labourers inside Israel.

Then, the war on Gaza started and everyone was out of a job. Instead of surrendering to poverty and despair, dozens of unemployed men took inspiration from Mohamad Abu Thabet – who opted out of manual labour to grow fruits and vegetables.

In the span of a few months, his two greenhouses gave inspiration for people to make nearly 200 more. “This is better even if my income is lower. I plant on my own land. No checkpoints or trouble,” farmer Raed Abu Jish told Al Jazeera.

As profitable as it is, growing plants in Beit Dajan is not an easy feat. Water is scarce and Israeli settlers attack outlying greenhouses.

“Our main trouble is settlers – they keep harassing us,” said farmer Abbas Haj Mohamad.


Israeli settlers attack school in West Bank

Israeli settlers have attacked a school in the Muarrajat area, northwest of Jericho, Wafa is reporting. Students and teachers were assaulted by the settlers during the attack on al-Ka’abneh Bedouins School, injuring several people before they were detained.

According to the report, the Palestine Red Crescent Society said its workers attended to three wounded people, who were taken to a hospital.

At least 704 people, including 159 children, have since been killed and more than 5,700 injured in Israeli raids and settler attacks across the occupied West Bank since the war on Gaza began.



SvennoJ on 16 September 2024

Settler attacks intensifying in West Bank with army protection

Settler attacks have been on the rise in the Jordan Valley area and in Jericho. This is also the case where we are now, which is called H2 located in Hebron to the south of the occupied West Bank.

Palestinians cannot use their cars on the road and this has been the case for years. But what has changed recently is that Palestinians have a curfew from around 10pm to 9am the next day.

On Fridays and Saturdays, Palestinians in Hebron are not allowed to move in these streets.

We’ve been hearing difficult testimonies from people in the area, talking about the intimidation they face from settler attacks. The latest was an attack on Sunday when settlers came here with protection from Israeli forces and started shooting, forcing many Palestinians to leave the area.

Settlers are getting increasing access to arms. And settlers have taken over a building here, raising a flag. The goal is to depopulate these areas by making life so difficult that people will leave.


Twenty Palestinians arrested across West Bank

Israeli forces have arrested 20 Palestinians, including a child and former prisoners, since yesterday, according to the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society. The group said arrests took place across the occupied West Bank, with Israeli forces also threatening detainees and their families.

At least 10,700 people have been arrested in the occupied territory, including East Jerusalem, since Israel’s war on Gaza started last October.


Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemns ‘settler terrorism’ after school attack

As we previously reported, a group of Israeli settlers have attacked a school in the occupied West Bank, the latest such assault by residents of illegal settlements.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry has issued a statement condemning the attack on the Ka’abneh Bedouins School in Jericho, calling it an extension of the Israeli “crime of ethnic cleansing” against Palestinians.

The ministry warned that the “settler’s terrorism” will lead to more assaults on Palestinians, adding that such attacks reflect official Israeli policy adopted by the government and supervised by “extremist ministers”, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.


Palestinian dies month after being shot in Israeli attack: Ministry

Ahmed Omar Azqili, 43, has died due to critical wounds he sustained from Israeli gunfire in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin about a month ago, the Palestinian Ministry of Health says.


Ten maps to understand the occupied West Bank

As Israel’s war on Gaza nears the one-year mark, assaults across the occupied West Bank also continue, with at least 703 people killed by Israeli forces since October 7.

Despite Gaza and the West Bank being just 33km (21 miles) apart at their closest points, Israeli restrictions have long prevented travel and interaction between the two Palestinian territories, even before the recent conflict.

To better understand the effect of these restrictions and the situation on the ground, take a look at our visual overview of the geography, history and living conditions of the millions of Palestinians in the West Bank here.



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SvennoJ on 16 September 2024

Sirens in northern Israel as rockets fired from Lebanon

Israel’s Ynet News is reporting that two rockets launched from Lebanon crossed into Israeli territory and exploded in open areas. The rockets, which triggered alarms in the Upper Galilee area, caused no casualties or damage, it added.

There was no immediate comment from Hezbollah.


Residents of Lebanon border village ‘refuse to submit to Israeli threats’

Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA) is reporting that the residents of the southern village of Wazzani refused to flee after an Israeli drone dropped leaflets in the area ordering “immediate” evacuations.

“Indeed, most of the displaced Syrians left the town, while its residents remained steadfast in their homes,” the agency added.

The report came as the Anadolu Agency published photos of several families packing up and leaving the area following the Israeli notices.

As we’ve been reporting, Israel’s military has clarified that there are no evacuation orders for south Lebanon and said that the leaflets had been distributed without permission. It said it has opened an investigation into the incident.



SvennoJ on 16 September 2024

Israelis say Netanyahu neither capable nor willing to accept a deal

Yesterday, the Israeli army released a statement saying it carried out an extensive investigation into an air strike last November.

The military says it was targeting a senior Hamas official and had no intelligence there were captives in the vicinity. The bodies of the captives were recovered on December 14, and the military is finally acknowledging that an Israeli air strike is what killed them.

The military went on to say that it does not conduct air strikes, shelling, or any other sort of attacks when there is intelligence or information about the whereabouts of captives.

However, this is just one in a series of intelligence and security failures for the Israeli military throughout the last 11 months. The greatest of those failures was also back in December when the Israeli army shot dead three captives.

There’s been a lot of frustration from the Israeli public, from family members of Israeli captives, who have said Netanyahu’s policies and those of his cabinet are not to bring about the release of the remaining captives, saying that he is neither capable nor willing to accept a deal.


Israeli military report on captives puts pressure on Netanyahu

The decision by the Israeli army to acknowledge that its strikes killed three captives in Gaza in November should be understood within the context of current rifts in Israeli society and military, according to Hassan Barrari, professor of international affairs at Qatar University.

“I would say it has been politicised and the release of the investigation is political now given the fact that Gallant is supported by the army and trying to do something different from Netanyahu,” he told Al Jazeera in reference to Israel’s defence minister and the PM.

Barrari added that Gallant is backed by the army chief of staff Herzi Halevi and other commanders, who have been increasingly at odds with Netanyahu as the war has dragged on.

“I think the timing is also important and they want to put more pressure on Netanyahu to kill the idea that the military push will release the captives. Now it’s obvious that the more the Israelis will fight, the riskier it will become for the captives.”


Israel’s defence minister warns time running out to halt battle with Hezbollah

Israel’s defence minister has told the US that prospects for a halt in fighting with Hezbollah along the Israel-Lebanon border are dimming.

Gallant told the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin in a call that “the possibility for an agreed framework in the northern arena is running out as Hezbollah continues to ‘tie itself’ to Hamas,” an Israeli Defence Ministry statement said.

Hezbollah has traded near-daily cross-border fire with Israeli forces since October 8. The violence has killed hundreds of people in Lebanon and dozens on the Israeli side.


Netanyahu considering dismissing defence minister

Israeli media are reporting that Netanyahu is preparing to dismiss Yoav Gallant as defence minister and replace him with National Unity party Chairman Gideon Sa’ar.

The report by the public broadcaster Kan, which cited an unnamed source in the prime minister’s office, was released as Netanyahu and Gallant are believed to have been at odds over, among other things, an offensive into Lebanon.

Gallant is opposed to a major invasion of Lebanon at the moment, according to Israeli media.

Netanyahu’s office said reports about a replacement are “incorrect” but did not mention Gallant specifically. Sa’ar has previously rejected speculation that he is accepting a deal to bring him back into the Netanyahu-led coalition.

Ben-Gvir wrote in a post on X that he has been calling for Gallant’s dismissal for months and the time has come to do it “immediately”.


Israeli army arms citizens in the north with 9,000 assault rifles

The Israeli army and the defence ministry have finished arming citizens in the northern part of the country with some 9,000 IWI Arad assault rifles. This is on top of the 5,000 weapons provided at the start of the war on Gaza, according to a ministry statement cited by The Times of Israel.

Eyal Zamir, director-general of the ministry, reportedly said this is part of an ongoing project to “strengthen civilian defence squads that fought bravely on October 7”.

The assault rifles were bought for 50 million shekels (about $13m) and distributed among 97 communities in the north.



SvennoJ on 16 September 2024

Jordan’s king urges new PM to defend ‘our Palestinian brothers and sisters’

In a letter to Jafar Hassan, Jordan’s new prime minister, King Abdullah II directed the new government to do all it can for the country’s Palestinian neighbours.

“Jordan stands resolutely against the war on Gaza and the violations in the West Bank and Jerusalem,” the Jordanian king wrote.

Jordan has attempted to walk a political tightrope by maintaining diplomatic relations with Israel since the war on Gaza began.

The stance has angered a significant portion of Jordan’s citizens, many of whom are descendants of the Palestinians forced out of their lands in both the Nakba and the 1967 war.

Arab Americans in Michigan angered by US support for Israel’s war on Gaza

In an Arab-American community that once supported Democrats, many now feel angry and betrayed.

At ArabCon, the US support for Israel’s war on Gaza left many frustrated with the current administration. Speakers at the convention emphasised putting community over party, with some choosing to back third-party candidates.

Concerns were raised about the ongoing mental health crisis in Gaza and the impact on future generations. Arab Americans in Michigan voiced their outrage over the war and the US government’s role, highlighting the potential political effect in the upcoming election.



SvennoJ on 16 September 2024

US envoy warns Israeli officials against escalation in Lebanon: Report

Haaretz reports that US envoy Amos Hochstein has warned Israeli leaders that intensifying the conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon could lead to a regional war while failing to achieve Israel’s objective of returning residents displaced by the violence in the north of the country to their homes.

Hochstein also said that Washington remains committed to a diplomatic solution to the crisis on the Israel-Lebanon border, according to the Israeli newspaper.


Israel defence minister says military action needed on northern border

Yoav Gallant has said that the only way to return residents evacuated from northern Israel to their homes is through military action.

Israel’s defence minister made the comments during a meeting with US envoy Amos Hochstein, according to a statement from his office.

“Minister Gallant emphasised that the possibility for an agreement is running out as Hezbollah continues to ‘tie itself’ to Hamas, and refuses to end the conflict. Therefore, the only way left to ensure the return of Israel’s northern communities to their homes will be via military action,” the statement said.

Tens of thousands of residents on both sides of the border have been displaced by the almost daily clashes between Hezbollah and Israel that started with the outbreak of the war on Gaza.



Israeli military confirms Hezbollah rocket launches, attacks Lebanon

The Israeli military says it identified rockets entering the Upper Galilee from Lebanon, of which some were intercepted while others fell in open areas and inflicted no casualties. It also released aerial footage of its launch of air raids on Hezbollah buildings in southern Lebanon’s Hula.

According to the Lebanese Health Ministry, as reported by state media, one person was killed and two were injured in the attacks.

Hezbollah has claimed two attacks on Israeli positions today, saying it launched rockets at the Metula site while firing artillery shells on another site along the border.


Hezbollah claims rocket attacks against Israeli bases

The Lebanese group says it fired rockets against Israeli military positions in Ramot Naftali and Ramim near the eastern side of the Lebanon-Israel border.

Hezbollah says its military operations against Israel are in support of Palestinians in Gaza, but on Monday it said the recent attacks were also in response to the Israeli bombardment of civilian homes in southern Lebanon.


Hezbollah says launched 13 attacks against Israel today

The Lebanese group says the military operations included rocket and drone attacks against Israeli positions across the border. Today’s clashes come amid growing calls in Israel for addressing the crisis with Hezbollah, including through a major war if necessary.

Hezbollah says it will continue to target Israeli military bases until Israel stops its war on Gaza.



SvennoJ on 16 September 2024

Iran’s president denies sending missiles to Houthis

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has denied sending hypersonic ballistic missile technology to Yemen’s Houthis while condemning Israel for the war on Gaza. “The missile they launched [at Israel], we don’t even have that in Iran,” Pezeshkian said during his first news conference since becoming president at the end of July.

On Sunday, the Houthis fired what they said was a hypersonic ballistic missile that hit central Israel.  When reminded that Iran has variants of hypersonic ballistic missiles, he clarified that “we don’t have that kind.”

“But we are coordinated. We help each other, and we have a shared view against Israel, which is committing genocide and killing women, children, the elderly and the youth. The world is watching as genocide is unfolding, and no one is stopping it.”


Houthis release footage of hypersonic missile launched at Israel

The Yemeni group has published a video of the missile – dubbed Palestine 2 – which it said was launched towards Israel.

A Houthi missile had reached central Israel for the first time on Sunday.

The projectile that was shown in today’s footage had a keffiyeh-patterned tip and was decorated with Palestinian flags. The video showed it being launched from a deserted area. The Houthis said the missile has a 2,150km (1,335-mile) range and can manoeuvre to evade air defences.

The failure to intercept Sunday’s missile, which had travelled thousands of miles from Yemen and crossed deep into Israeli territory, was seen as a major breach in Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to inflict a “heavy price” on the Houthis over the attack.

Translation: “Footage of the launch of the hypersonic ballistic missile ‘Palestine 2’ against a military target in occupied Jaffa ‘Tel Aviv’ with its characteristics.”