In the latest of Israel’s daily and nightly attacks on Palestinians throughout the West Bank, including in Jerusalem, Israeli forces seriously wounded a homeowner in Salfit, abducted the head of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem while issuing exclusion orders for many Palestinian worshipers to the mosque. This ongoing escalation is done in coordination with the right-wing Israeli extremists who have been conducting near-daily violations of the sacred mosque, having publicly announced their intention to destroy the mosque and replace it with a Jewish temple.
The ongoing attacks followed the killing of an 18-year old Palestinian in Qalqilia by Israeli forces on Monday afternoon.
Meanwhile, the large scale invasion of Salfit that began Monday morning continued. Large forces of the Israeli occupation army stormed the city of Salfit throughout the night on Monday.
After midnight Monday night (early Tuesday morning), the Israeli occupation forces attacked citizen Ashraf Zahd while storming his home in the city of Salfit, which required his transfer to the Martyr Yasser Arafat Hospital to receive treatment.
Local sources reported that the Israeli occupation forces are obstructing the movement of ambulances within the city, preventing them from passing and reaching the victims.
Local sources reported that several military vehicles stormed the city from its northern entrance, and deployed in a number of neighborhoods, while a helicopter flew at a low altitude over the area, with a foot force present in the “Al-Mutawi” area, on the road linking the city of Salfit and the town of Bruqin to the west.
The same sources added that the occupation forces detained and interrogated a number of citizens, raided and searched several homes, before turning some of them into military barracks after forcing their residents to evacuate The troops also destroyed commercial kiosks in a number of the city’s neighborhoods, in addition to vandalizing the upper floor of the Al-Nour building.
The Israeli occupation forces began demolishing a house in the town of Qarawa Bani Hassan, west of Salfit, after storming the town with a number of military vehicles. The military’s pretext was that the homeowner was “building without a permit”, which is a justification used by the military to demolish Palestinian homes (although no permits have been issued by the Israeli military authorities for Palestinians to be able to build on their land since 1967).
Given the current security situation in the city, Salfit Governor Mustafa Taqatqa decided to suspend work in all official departments in the governorate tomorrow, Tuesday, in order to ensure the safety of employees and citizens.
Shortly before midnight last night, large forces from the Israeli occupation army stormed the city of Salfit, where local sources reported that several military vehicles stormed the city from its northern entrance and deployed in a number of neighborhoods, while a helicopter flew at a low altitude in the sky of the region, with the presence of a foot force in the “Al-Mutawi” area, on the road linking the city of Salfit and the town of Burqin to the west.
The same sources added that the occupation forces detained and interrogated a number of citizens, raided and searched several homes, before turning some of them into military barracks after forcing their residents to evacuate It also destroyed commercial kiosks in a number of the city’s neighborhoods, in addition to vandalizing the upper floor of the Al-Nour building.
A number of Palestinian citizens suffered from tear gas inhalation Monday evening, during the Israeli occupation forces’ storming of the village of Al-Mughair, northeast of Ramallah.
The head of the Al-Mughair Village Council told Wafa that the Israeli occupation forces stormed the village amid heavy firing of sound bombs and poison gas at homes, causing a number of citizens to suffer from gas inhalation.
Colonists had attacked citizens’ vehicles with stones at the western entrance to the village before the occupation forces stormed it, causing material damage to the vehicle.
It is noteworthy that Al-Mughayyir and the surrounding villages and towns are subjected to almost daily incursions by the occupation forces, in addition to the colonists’ continuous attacks on citizens and their property.
In Jerusalem, on Monday evening, the Israeli occupation police abducted the imam of the sacred Al-Aqsa Mosque, Sheikh Muhammad Ali Al-Abbasi, from inside the Al-Aqsa courtyards in occupied Jerusalem. The military did not explain the reasons for the abduction, or the nature of the measures taken against him.
This abduction comes amid the escalation of the occupation’s measures against the sacred Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest site for a billion practicing Muslims worldwide, which include restrictions on imams, preachers and guards, and imposing restrictions on the entry of worshipers, in addition to the intensification of incursions carried out by colonists under heavy protection from the occupation police.
Israeli settlers under police cover storm the courtyards of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, performing provocative rituals of singing and dancing, and desecrating one of the holiest sites for Muslims.
In addition, the Israeli occupation authorities issued decisions to exclude a number of Jerusalemite citizens from Al-Aqsa Mosque, and also summoned a photojournalist for investigation.
The Jerusalem Governorate reported that the occupation issued exclusion orders to: the young man, Muhammad Al-Natsheh, from the town of Silwan, from Al-Aqsa Mosque for a period of 6 months, the paramedic, Saif Al-Din Abu Jumaa, for a period of 6 months, the young man, Muhammad Awad, from the town of Beit Hanina for a period of 6 months, in addition to the young man, Moamen Al-Abbasi, from the town of Silwan for a week, with the possibility of renewing the decision. The Israeli occupation also issued an exclusion to Najeh Karkash, from the Old City of Jerusalem to Al-Aqsa Mosque for a week, with the possibility of renewing the decision. He was summoned today for investigation at the “Al-Qashla” police station in the Old City of Jerusalem.
In a related context, the Israeli occupation authorities summoned photojournalist Muhammad Adly Abu Sneineh Monday evening for investigation at Al-Qashla Police Station.
Additionally, the Israeli occupation authorities have extended the detention of journalist Nisreen Salem until next Thursday. The extension decision was issued by the occupation court, without disclosing additional details related to the nature of the charges against it, or the course of the investigation.
The extension of the detention comes in the context of the occupation’s increasing targeting of Palestinian journalists in the city of Jerusalem, through abductions, summonses and deportation decisions, in an attempt to restrict journalistic work and limit media coverage in the occupied city.
The Israeli occupation authorities were notified Monday of the removal of hundreds of trees in the town of Sur Baher, south of occupied Jerusalem, claiming that they were located within the so-called “buffer zone” adjacent to the apartheid separation and expansion wall.
Eyewitnesses and local sources reported that the notification targets agricultural lands belonging to citizens of the town, and includes uprooting hundreds of fruit trees, in a move that threatens the source of livelihood for a number of families, and causes widespread environmental and agricultural damage in the region.
Israeli occupation forces closed one of the side roads near the northern entrance to Sur Baher with dirt barriers.
In the northern West Bank, on Monday evening, Israeli occupation forces stormed the village of Faqoua in Jenin Governorate. Local sources said that the occupation forces stormed the village, raided a house, and turned it into a military barracks, after setting up a tent on its roof and positioning themselves there.
Israeli MK Zvi Sukkot, chair of the Knesset Education Committee, stormed the Eastern Al-Laban Girls High School near Nablus alongside armed settlers under Israeli military protection, terrifying students and teachers and issuing threats inside the school grounds.
Two citizens were injured, Monday evening, after an Israeli occupation vehicle collided with a vehicle they were traveling in in the city of Jenin.
Local sources reported that two citizens suffered bruises when an Israeli military vehicle collided with a taxi they were in on Al-Anbar Street in Jenin. They were taken to the hospital for treatment.
In the southern West Bank, Israeli occupation forces stormed the town of Beit Fajjar, south of Bethlehem, on Monday evening.
Local sources reported to Wafa news that the occupation forces were stationed in the Shannah Triangle area, southwest of the town, and conducted foot patrols, raided and searched a house, without any abductions being reported.
