The occupation escalates in the West Bank and the Jordan Valley
Despite Arab and international warnings regarding the repercussions of the Israeli government’s extreme ambitions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, Israeli occupation forces carried out raids involving arrests and home demolitions in several towns today, while attacks by Jewish settlers continued in most occupied Palestinian areas.
Israeli occupation forces raided the towns of Tuqu’ and Jannatah southeast of Bethlehem, as well as several areas in Qalqilya, where they stationed themselves. They raided and searched several citizens’ homes, photographed their personal identification documents, and arrested four individuals. Additionally, eight people were arrested from villages in the Nablus district. One single-story house was demolished in the town of Nal’in west of Ramallah, and another three-story house was demolished in the Aqraba Station area southwest of Jenin city.
After encircling many West Bank governorates, Israeli occupation forces tightened their military measures at the Taysir and Ein Shibli checkpoints in the northern Jordan Valley. According to the Wall and Settlement Resistance Authority, the number of military checkpoints and gates in Palestinian territories exceeds 916, including 243 gates erected after the October 7, 2023, attack.
The Israeli army issued six orders today to confiscate 498 dunams of Palestinian land in the areas of Tuba, Taysir, Al-Uqba, Abzeq, and Raba, noting that these actions are an extension of the “Crimson Thread” project announced by Israel late last year and implemented during the current year.
Amid Arab and Islamic warnings against pushing the region toward explosion under Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, approximately 600 former Israeli security officials from the army, Mossad, Shin Bet, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent an urgent letter to U.S. President Donald Trump, calling for his intervention against the “terrorist operations of Jewish settlers.” These settlers had set fire to two mosques in the Qusra municipality south of Nablus, sparking severe tensions following clashes that left six people dead on Friday, including four Palestinians.
The former security officials sent the letter to Trump on the eve of the anticipated meeting between Trump and Netanyahu today, urging him to intervene personally and pressure Israel to curb settler terrorism. They emphasized that “terrorism is terrorism,” warning that it could lead to consequences “more catastrophic than the horrors of Hamas’s October 7 attack and its multi-front repercussions.”
The letter, sent by the organization “Leaders for Israel’s Security,” stated, “Only you, Mr. President, can prevent this disaster. We sincerely hope you will use your upcoming meeting with our prime minister to convey a strong and clear message on this matter.” They pointed out that the continuation of settler terrorism and the policy aimed at “suffocating the Palestinian Authority economically and in other ways” would destroy Israel’s security, lead to the collapse of regional stability, and thwart political processes driven by the U.S. President.
In Gaza, the occupation continued its escalation, launching a series of attacks targeting scattered areas today, which resulted in eight Palestinians being injured, including three fishermen and one person in critical condition.
The Ministry of Health announced that three dead bodies and 12 injured people reached hospitals in the Strip within 24 hours. The deceased include two people killed in new attacks and another who died from his injuries. Meanwhile, many victims remain under the rubble and on the streets, as rescue and civil defense teams continue to be unable to reach them.
According to the ministry, the casualty toll since the start of the aggression on Gaza on October 7, 2023, has risen to 73,329 killed and 174,009 injured. Additionally, since the ceasefire took effect on October 10 last year, 1,203 people have been killed, 3,900 injured, and 803 bodies recovered.
