Zeina Hutchison reflects on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People: “Today and always I remember, I reflect, I cry, I rejoice and I am humbled by the strength, heart, determination, beauty and achievements of my people; the Palestinian people.”

B’Tselem published a video today of a disturbing incident in Hebron on September 3 in which Israeli soldiers raided the home of an extended Palestinian family at about 8 PM and forced a dozen children, some of whom were sleeping, to line up for a photograph.

The new Israeli government this week moved forward on plans to build 3000 more settlement units in the West Bank; and yesterday the State Department issued its strongest opposition to the plans since Joe Biden took office, calling the plans “unacceptable.” The State Department spokesperson said yesterday the U.S. “strongly” opposes the expansion of settlements.

Israel officially revoked the permanent residency of Palestinian lawyer Salah Hamouri from his hometown of Jerusalem on Monday, on the basis of “breach of allegiance” to the state, paving the way for Hamouri’s forced deportation from his homeland.

There are more than two settler attacks on Palestinians a day this year on average. According to two Israeli human rights experts, the violent settlers are working with the cooperation of the army and the Israeli government to take over more and more land for Jewish settlement in a policy of pushing Palestinians out of Area C. This is a traditional use by the army of Israeli settlers.

Following a pogrom in Southern Hebron that injured a 3-year-old Palestinian child, Israeli human rights organizations started an ad campaign calling on the Defense Minister and Internal Security Minister to end settler violence. Israeli bus companies removed the ad within a day after pressure from rightwing activists.

In late August students in Gaza headed back to schools where many are learning in overcapacity classrooms with up to three sharing a desk, as educators grapple to find places for pupils whose schools were bombed during a recent escalation with Israel. 

After Israeli soldiers killed more than 40 Palestinians ‘easily’ in 2 months, the army chief of staff said, “This is not right” and ordered snipers to “relax.” But when reporter Ohad Hemo related this incident to the Israel Policy Forum, chair Susie Gelman just raised her concerns about the Palestinian prisoners escaping an Israeli prison.

The fifth day of the Palestinian prisoners’ escape from an Israeli prison has sparked joy, pride and resistance in Palestinians. Israelis have cracked down on the protests even as they pour troops into the West Bank to try to find the six escapees. A Palestinian doctor was killed near Al-Aqsa mosque today.

Shocking images of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and the restoration of Taliban government have become a “talking point of the Israeli right,” says Israeli journalist Neri Zilber, speaking on an Israel lobby event. Israel must never withdraw from Palestinian territories it has occupied for 54 years, the right says. “We can’t agree for such an arrangement with the West Bank… Withdrawal from the West Bank should never be countenanced, considered seriously.”