Israel hits Bethlehem in Christmas raids on occupied West Financial institution

Christmas day within the occupied West Financial institution started with an assault at the Jenin refugee camp and several other arrests.
The raid on Monday morning adopted a number of others around the territory, which noticed dozens of arrests and the taking pictures within the neck of a 17-year-old boy. Amongst cities hit used to be Bethlehem.
Jenin, often considered as an emblem of Palestinian resistance to profession, has been again and again centered by means of Israeli forces since its struggle with Hamas in Gaza started on October 7.
On Monday, the Jenin-based Freedom Theatre, a well-liked image of peace and hope that used to be lately raided and vandalised by means of Israeli infantrymen, described how Israeli forces lit up the sky “with flare bombs” while raiding the camp.

Christmas Day starts with some other assault on Jenin Refugee Camp, because the Israeli military lighting fixtures up the sky with Flare bombs.
25.12.23#Mayday Created by means of @freedom_theatre & @artistfrontline #Jenin #JeninUnderAttack #Palestine #Theatre #جنين percent.twitter.com/u44NnedJUg
— The Freedom Theatre (@freedom_theatre) December 25, 2023

Reporting from the Jenin refugee camp, Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan mentioned that the Israeli military raided no less than 10 homes announcing they had been in search of Palestinians to arrest. Alternatively, no detentions had been made.
“Israeli forces did name for Palestinian opponents to return out and provides themselves up however that didn’t occur both. Citizens are telling us that that is merely a marketing campaign of harassment,” Khan mentioned.
“Jenin refugee camp is now probably the most raided camp within the occupied West Financial institution. The Israeli forces are destroying any image of resistance or nationalism within the camp.”
Whilst the raids within the camp and Jenin area have now reportedly ended, no less than 9 younger males had been arrested within the al-Jalama village, northeast of Jenin.
Areas in and close to Nablus, Jericho, Ramallah and Bethlehem – which Christians imagine is the birthplace of Jesus Christ – had been additionally raided in a single day by means of Israeli forces, Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut reported.
Within the village of Burqa, northwest of the town of Nablus within the occupied West Financial institution, Israeli forces arrested no less than 20 folks, together with senior voters.
Additionally, Palestinian information company Wafa mentioned {that a} 17-year-old boy used to be injured after he used to be hit within the neck when Israeli forces fired are living ammunition throughout a raid within the the city of Aqaba, north of Tubas.
Wafa reported that Israeli forces additionally arrested some other resident of Tubas earlier than chickening out from the city.

Larger violence within the occupied West Financial institution
The West Financial institution has observed surging violence and arrests in parallel to Israel’s struggle at the Gaza Strip which has killed greater than 20,000 Palestinians.
Israel says it’s concentrated on Hamas in Gaza, however the violence within the West Financial institution is going down in spite of Hamas having restricted presence within the territory.
Israeli incursions into the West Financial institution have killed no less than 303 Palestinians since October 7.
Along with the actions of Israel’s army, assaults by means of Israeli settlers also are on the upward push.
A minimum of 700,000 Israeli settlers are living in unlawful, fortified, Jewish-only settlements around the West Financial institution and East Jerusalem, the vast majority of which have been constructed both solely or in part on non-public Palestinian land.
Assaults, that have greater exponentially over the last 3 months, come with shootings, stabbings, rock throwing and beatings, in addition to arson and critical injury to houses, cars and agricultural land.
The United International locations famous that “in just about part of all incidents, Israeli forces had been both accompanying or actively supporting the attackers”.
Rights teams, Palestinians, and a few within the global group have slammed Israel for no longer doing sufficient to forestall settler violence.
Previous this month, nations like Belgium and america introduced they’d impose visa restrictions on “extremist” Israeli settlers interested in undermining peace, safety or balance within the occupied West Financial institution.
At a cupboard assembly on Sunday, Israeli High Minister Netanyahu’s executive ratified a call to assign $21m to enhance new settlements within the occupied West Financial institution.