Daijiworld Media Network – Nablus
Nablus, Oct 24: A Palestinian teenager, 18-year-old Mohammed Ahmed Abu Haneen, has died from wounds sustained during an Israeli military raid in the Askar camp in Nablus, marking the latest episode of violence against civilians in the occupied West Bank.
Earlier on Friday, Israeli forces also conducted raids in Aqaba, north of Tubas, and made arrests in Hebron and Tal. The Israeli army reported arresting 44 Palestinians across the West Bank in the past week, seizing weapons and conducting interrogations. Last week, 10-year-old Mohammad al-Hallaq was shot dead while playing football in ar-Rihiya, Hebron.
According to the United Nations, more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since October 7, 2023. Children account for a fifth of the victims, with 206 boys and seven girls among the dead, along with 20 women and at least seven people with disabilities. These figures do not include Palestinians who died in Israeli detention during the same period.
While a US-brokered Gaza ceasefire has resulted in the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees, many show signs of abuse. Dozens of bodies returned to Palestinians have displayed mutilation and signs of torture or execution.
Meanwhile, Israeli settlers have intensified attacks on Palestinians near Ramallah, destroying property and targeting farmers. Settlers set fire to vehicles in Deir Dibwan and assaulted Palestinian olive farmers in Beit Iksa and Turmus Aya. In Turmus Aya, 53-year-old Afaf Abu Alia suffered a brain haemorrhage after a brutal attack by settlers, reportedly backed by the Israeli military.
UN data shows settlers have attacked Palestinians nearly 3,000 times in the West Bank over the past two years. UNRWA stated that since October 7, 2023, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, has seen a sharp escalation in violence, highlighting ongoing annexation efforts that violate international law.
Amid this, Israeli parliament recently advanced a bill to formalise West Bank annexation, which has drawn firm opposition from the US. President Donald Trump emphasised that annexation “won’t happen,” citing commitments to Arab countries, while Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed opposition to the parliamentary motion, calling it a “political stunt.”
The continued raids, settler violence, and political tensions underscore the fragility of peace in the occupied West Bank even as a Gaza ceasefire remains in place.