Shu’fat refugee camp and neighboring towns are under siege as the Israeli military launches a manhunt following a drive-by shooting operation against Shu’fat military checkpoint.
Recent attacks on Palestinian cultural centers have targeted those seeking to re-imagine and redefine Palestinian identity. The Israeli media has been more than happy to exploit the conflict.
Today, as I report on developments from Palestine I recognize the striking similarities between the years of the second Intifada and now.
“The homeland is not for my father. It is for me and you, and for them, and for all of us. The land has been dried up. They are not just occupying my house alone, they are occupying us all.” – Suleiman Omran
Today, Israeli military forces invaded Jalazon refugee camp near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank and killed two young Palestinians, Basel Basbous and Khaled Anbar, while seriously injuring a third, Rafat Salameh from Birzeit.
The raids are part of the ongoing Israeli military campaign in the West Bank “Operation Break the Wave” which killed more than 125 Palestinians and injured more than 7,643 in the last nine months.
For the second consecutive day, Palestinian cities in the West Bank are shut down in a general strike as protests erupt across Ramallah, Bethlehem, Nablus, Jenin, and Hebron in response to an Israeli raid on Jenin refugee camp that killed four Palestinians and injured over 50.
Israel kills two Palestinians in 24 hours, including one resistance fighter, as confrontations also continue between Palestinians and the Palestinian Authority.
Fulfilling its role as Israel’s proxy army, the Palestinian Authority has arrested resistance fighters in Nablus, followed by violent clashes with Nablus residents amidst chants of PA collaborationism.
The small town of Mazraa Qabaliya in the northern West Bank is fighting the Israeli military and armed settlers for control of a resource that is both revered and essential to their community — Naalan mountain. “We all take turns making sure there is electricity extended and that the lights on this mountain are on at all times, to make sure there is a sign of life here” Ahmad Obeid, tells Mondoweiss. “We must keep the light on here on the mountain at all times. Once it’s off, know that something is wrong, that there is an attack.”
The Tunnel for Freedom, when six Palestinians escaped from Israel’s notorious Gilboa prison, has become an iconic moment in modern Palestinian history. One year later, the six prisoners have been re-arrested but the unity their daring action inspired lives on.
“Those days of freedom,” Aymen Kamamji’s father tells Mondoweiss, “they were some of the happiest days of our lives.”