West Bank30 September, 20263 min read
Israeli Forces And Settlers Carry Out Predawn Raids Across West Bank, Injuring Palestinians
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Israeli forces and settlers conducted West Bank raids, injuring Palestinians and arresting residents. Settler attacks caused arson, shootings, and damage across Jenin and Nablus areas.
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Raids, gas, kidnappings
Occupation forces and settler groups carried out simultaneous raids and assaults across the West Bank at predawn on Friday, leaving several Palestinians injured, a teenage boy kidnapped, and others detained, while also raiding homes and destroying contents. In Nablus, settlers attacked the town of Orta in the southeast of the city and abducted a 17-year-old youth, before occupation forces entered Orta and fired tear gas and sound bombs that caused five Palestinians to suffocate from gas inhalation, according to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society. Occupation forces raided the city of Nablus from the Huwwara military checkpoint and raided a residential building in the Jabal al-Nour area, while settlers attacked residents’ homes in the village of Burqa east of the city and occupation forces raided the town in tandem with the settlers’ assault.
In Jenin, occupation forces raided Palestinian homes in the town of az-Zubaydah, causing extensive damage and destruction, while raiding Meithlon town and Rummana village west of the city amid heavy shelling. In Tulkarm, occupation forces detained several youths after raiding a cafe in the eastern district of the city, and the raids also included a reported raid on the town of Gius northeast of Qalqilya.
U.S. Senate vote
The U.S. Senate blocked a measure requiring a report on Israel human rights practices and the killings of American citizens in the West Bank, after the Senate voted 47–51 on Tuesday night.
Senate Democrats nearly all supported the resolution, and Sen. Chris Van Hollen said, "While I was pleased that so many of my Democratic colleagues joined this effort, it’s clear the United States must do more," after the vote.
Sen. Steve Daines opposed the measure and said, "This is a misguided resolution," arguing that Democrats were trying to distort reality for political gain.
The resolution aimed to require the State Department to provide lawmakers with reports on violence and human rights in the Palestinian territory, and it referenced nine American citizens who died in the West Bank in recent years.
The vote reflected a split in the chamber, with every Republican voting against the measure except Rand Paul, and with Sen. John Fetterman the only Democrat to oppose it.
Settler violence and pressure
The International Committee of the Red Cross said Israeli settler violence in the West Bank made everyday life for Palestinians "untenable," as a mob attack on Palestinians trying to return home prompted unusually harsh condemnation from Israeli politicians and commenters. The Guardian reported that more than 100 militant settlers overwhelmed Israeli security forces early on Tuesday to attack a Palestinian family as they attempted to reclaim their homes in the West Bank village of Jalud, and the attack injured three Israeli security officials and set houses on fire. ICRC head Julien Lerisson said, "The frequent and severe violence must be brought to an end," and he added that international humanitarian law on protection of property and access to essential services must be respected.
The Guardian also said Israel is facing unprecedented international pressure over surging violence in the occupied West Bank, and it cited a Netherlands import ban on settlement goods coming into force last week and UK plans for broader controls on trade and financing of settlements. The Guardian further reported that Roy Sharon warned after the Senate vote that "anarchy in the West Bank" may cost Israel military aid from the US and its international legitimacy.