Israeli foreign minister says deal will have ‘majority support’
Speaking from Rome, Gideon Saar said that despite opposition from within the Netanyahu coalition, the proposed deal, if it passes, will be supported by most of the government.
“I believe that if we achieve this hostage deal, we will have a majority in the government that will support the agreement,” he said next to Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
Tajani also said Palestinians were standing in the way of lasting peace. “For this, we must see a deep and real change among Palestinians. Unfortunately, we are not seeing it today,” he said.
He promised regular raids, like those that Israel conducts daily in the occupied West Bank, if there is future “terrorism” in Gaza following a ceasefire deal.
PIJ in Jenin says it agreed to initiative to end Palestinian infighting
The Jenin Battalion of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s al-Quds Brigades says it has agreed to an initiative to “end the bloodshed and preserve the Palestinian national fabric” after weeks of skirmishes between its fighters and Palestinian Authority security forces.
The group said in a statement that it accepted the proposal – put forward by local leaders, known as the reform committees, civil society groups and the Chamber of Commerce – from a “position of strength”.
The Jenin Battalion did not reveal the details of the agreement, but it said that it affirms the “legitimate right to resist the criminal occupation”. The PA has been carrying out raids in Jenin against groups fighting Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank.
The Fatah-led authority, which has suspended Al Jazeera in the occupied West Bank, has faced accusations of silencing dissent and freedom of expression in a parallel campaign with the crackdown in Jenin.
Israeli military says it attacked a target in Jenin
The Israeli army announces carrying out an air strike in the occupied West Bank without providing further details.
According to an initial tally by the Palestinian Red Crescent, the air strike has killed at least one person and wounded two others.
Six killed in Israeli air strike in Jenin
The death toll from the attack has now risen to six, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry, which also reported a “number of injuries” that are in stable condition.
Israeli air strike targeted civilians: Jenin Battalion commander
The Israeli attack that killed at least six Palestinians in the occupied West Bank targeted civilians, including children, a Jenin Battalion commander tells Al Jazeera Arabic. The attack comes amid a crackdown by the Palestinian Authority’s security forces against Palestinian armed groups fighting Israel in and around Jenin.
The commander, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the PA must “lift its siege” on the Jenin refugee camp.
“Israel fights us as resistance fighters and the PA pursues us as outlaws,” the source added.
Palestinian Health Ministry identifies Jenin victims
A 15-year-old child was amongst the six people killed in the Israeli air strike, according to the Health Ministry. The five other victims are men between the ages of 23 and 34. They include three members of the Abu al-Hayjaa family.
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