Dozens injured in new West Bank clashes between Israeli forces, Palestinians

Dozens of people have been injured in new clashes between Palestinians and Israeli military forces who raided towns and villages across the West Bank, amid soaring tensions over Israeli plans to forcibly evict Palestinian families from their homes in the occupied al-Quds and frequent desecration of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

According to the official Palestinian news agency Wafa, Israeli troops stormed the town of Husan nine kilometers (5.5 miles) west of Bethlehem, on Thursday evening.

Security sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said skirmishes broke out between a group of young Palestinian men and Israeli forces in the al-Muteena neighborhood. Israeli troops used tear gas, rubber-coated bullets and shock grenades to disperse the crowd.

Dozens of Palestinians hurt in confrontations with Israeli forces in northern West Bank

Dozens of Palestinians have been injured after confrontations broke out between Israeli forces and a group of protesters in the northern occupied West Bank city of Nablus.

Several people sustained injuries and many others suffered chest tightness, coughing and a choking sensation after being exposed to tear gas fired by Israeli forces.

Israeli forces also stormed Budrus village, located 31 kilometers northwest of Ramallah, triggering clashes with local residents.

In the central West Bank city of al-Bireh, several Palestinians were injured after Israeli forces stormed the area.

The invasion sparked a face-off, and Palestinians responded to rubber-coated metal bullets and stun grenades fired by the Israeli troops by hurling rocks.

Moreover, Israeli forces detained at least two Palestinians during overnight arrest operations in the West Bank.

Local and security sources said heavily-armed Israeli troops rounded up a 17-year-old teenager, identified as Ahmed Kamel Makhlouf, after storming and searching his family house in Jalazone refugee camp.

Israeli forces fatally shoot Palestinian teen, two young men across occupied territories

Israeli forces have separately killed a teenage Palestinian boy and two young men across the occupied territories.

Israeli forces also arrested a young man at the entrance of Zububa village, which lies northwest of the northern West Bank city of Jenin.

On Thursday morning, dozens of Israeli settlers stormed the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East al-Quds to mark the Jewish holiday of Purim.

Online footage from the Muslim holy site showed the settlers, one of them wearing a white monk dress, praying in the court yard while escorted and protected by Israeli police.

According to Wafa, almost 117 Israeli settlers protected by Israeli special forces broke into al-Aqsa Mosque at around 7 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) from the Moroccan Gate.

Israeli authorities had earlier restricted Palestinians' access to the mosque.

The latest Israeli incursion comes ahead of the holy fasting month of Ramadan, starting in early April, when thousands of Palestinians travel to al-Quds to pray at al-Aqsa Mosque.

Hardline Israeli legislators and extremist settlers regularly storm the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied city, a provocative move that infuriates Palestinians. Such mass break-ins almost always take place at the behest of Tel Aviv-backed temple groups and under the auspices of the Israeli police in al-Quds.

Hamas warns of ‘dire consequences’ if Israeli settlers defile al-Aqsa during Jewish festival

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has warned of dire consequences if Israeli settlers defile al-Aqsa Mosque during an upcoming Jewish festival.

Last October, an Israeli court upheld a ban on Jewish prayers at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound, after an earlier decision by a lower court stirred outrage among various Palestinians and across the Muslim world.

In May 2021, frequent acts of violence against Palestinian worshipers at Al-Aqsa Mosque led to an 11-day war between Palestinian resistance groups in the besieged Gaza Strip and the Israeli regime, during which the regime killed at least 260 Palestinians, including 66 children.

The al-Aqsa Mosque compound houses both the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa Mosque.

The Jewish visitation of al-Aqsa is permitted, but non-Muslim worship at the compound is prohibited according to an agreement signed between Israel and the Jordanian government in the wake of Israel’s occupation of East al-Quds in 1967.

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