United News of Bangladesh

Palestinians hope the Oscar victory of "No Other Land" will bring support as they face possible expulsion by Israel, reports AP. Just last week, Israeli troops demolished a Palestinian family’s shed in this remote, hilly part of the West Bank, residents reported. It was the latest instance of destruction targeting a group of hamlets whose population is under threat of displacement. ‘No Other Land’ Wins Oscar for Best Documentary Palestinians in Masafer Yatta celebrated the Oscar win of the documentary No Other Land, which portrays life in the embattled community, hoping it would draw attention to their plight. In al-Tuwaneh, one of the hamlets in Masafer Yatta, Salem Adra said his family stayed up all night to watch the Oscar ceremony. They cheered as his older brother, Basel Adra, co-director of the film, took the stage to accept the award for Best Documentary. “It was such a huge surprise, such joy,” he said. The documentary follows Basel Adra as he risks arrest to document the destruction of Masafer Yatta, located at the southern edge of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He is joined by his co-director, Israeli journalist and filmmaker Yuval Abraham. This joint Palestinian-Israeli production has earned multiple international awards, beginning with the Berlin International Film Festival in 2024. Five years in the making, it has gained even greater significance amid Israel’s devastating military campaign in Gaza, which has displaced nearly its entire population, alongside increasing raids in the West Bank that have forced tens of thousands of Palestinians from their homes. However, the film has also sparked controversy in Israel, which remains deeply affected by the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that triggered the war. Salem Adra, who occasionally assisted his brother with filming, expressed hope that the Oscar win would “open the world’s eyes to what’s happening here in Masafer Yatta.” “This is a victory for all of Palestine and for everyone living in Masafer Yatta,” he added. Since the film’s release, he said, threats and pressure against his family have escalated. Their car has been stoned by settlers, and following the film’s recognition at the Berlin International Film Festival, the military repeatedly raided their home. At one point, soldiers detained his father, searched his phone, and questioned him: “Why are you filming?” Masafer Yatta was designated as a live-fire training zone by the Israeli military in the 1980s, leading to an order for the expulsion of its residents, who are mostly Arab Bedouin. Israel argues that they had no permanent structures in the area, while families maintain that they have lived and herded livestock there long before Israel took control of the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war. After a two-decade legal battle, Israel’s Supreme Court upheld the expulsion order in 2022. While most of the approximately 1,000 residents remain, troops routinely enter to demolish homes, tents, water tanks, and olive orchards. Many Palestinians fear an imminent full-scale expulsion. The latest demolition occurred last Wednesday when troops tore down a family’s shed in a nearby hamlet. Standing on a rocky ridge above al-Tuwaneh, Salem Adra noted that since October 7, 2023, Jewish settlers, with military backing, have established 10 outposts around the village. Shepherd Raed al-Hamamdeh, 48, guided his goats across the rugged land. He pointed to one such outpost—visible across a small valley—where tents and a trailer displayed the flag of an Israeli military unit. Farmers no longer tend to the valley’s olive grove due to fears of attacks. According to al-Hamamdeh, the military uses drones to drive away herds if they venture too close to the outposts. “Settlers attack us. When we herd sheep, we can’t go far, as you can see. We can only go up to this point,” he said, indicating a boundary. He gestured toward the rubble of a house that, he claimed, settlers had destroyed after forcing out the family and burning their furniture. In Israel, the film has received little media attention, and the coverage it has garnered has been largely negative. When it won Best Documentary in Berlin, Israeli director Abraham faced backlash for an acceptance speech calling for an end to the war in Gaza—without mentioning Hamas’ initial attack and the hostages held in Gaza. Anti-US sentiment bubbling up in the West Bank bolsters demand for a local Coke-alternative During his Oscar acceptance speech, Abraham referenced both events, but this did little to quell criticism in Israel. Culture and Sports Minister Miki Zohar called the win “a sad moment for the world of cinema,” accusing the filmmakers of distorting reality and using “defamation” of Israel to promote their work. Ordinarily, Israeli films nominated for prestigious international awards receive widespread praise at home. However, following the Hamas attack, “everyone is in mourning or in trauma. We can hardly hear any other voice on any other subject,” said Raya Morag, a cinema and trauma expert at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. On Monday, she noted that it remains uncertain whether the Oscar win will draw more attention to the film in Israel. Still, she added, “it will be impossible for people to ignore the message of the two directors, even if they haven’t seen the film.” During his Oscar speech, Basel Adra called on the world “to stop the injustice and to stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinian people.” He expressed hope that his newborn daughter would “not have to live the same life I am living now… always fearing settler violence, home demolitions, and forced displacement.” On Monday, his brother Salem descended the ridge, accompanied by his 4-year-old son, heading towards their family home. He checked the CCTV cameras installed around the house to monitor for settlers. They were still recording.

Freedom carries a bittersweet feeling for Palestinians released from Israeli prisons. When Dania Hanatsheh was freed this week from an Israeli jail and welcomed by jubilant crowds in Ramallah, it brought back uneasy memories for her. After nearly five months of detention, it marked her second release as part of an agreement between Israel and Hamas for a pause in the Gaza conflict, reports AP. 2 killed in an Israeli strike in the West Bank, Palestinians say While Hanatsheh was overjoyed to be free again, she expressed sadness about the ongoing destruction in Gaza and uncertainty about her future, with many in her community sharing her fears of future detentions. “Palestinian families are ready for arrest at any time,” she explained. “It feels helpless, like there’s nothing you can do to protect yourself.” Hanatsheh was one of 90 women and girls freed by Israel in the first phase of the ceasefire deal. The deal involves the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, halting fighting for six weeks, freeing 33 hostages from Gaza, and increasing aid to the region. Some prisoners are held for minor acts like throwing stones, while others are convicted of killing Israelis. Hanatsheh was initially arrested in November 2023, shortly after the war began, and released briefly during a ceasefire in exchange for hostages. She was arrested again in August when Israeli forces raided her home with explosives. Despite being detained twice, she was never told the reasons for her arrests. Israel’s justice ministry claims she was detained for “supporting terror,” but she was neither charged nor given a trial and is not affiliated with any militant group. Her experience is common among Palestinians, where nearly every family across Gaza, the West Bank, and east Jerusalem has a relative who has spent time in an Israeli jail. The ongoing conflict has caused significant family trauma, with many children growing up without one or both parents. Since the war began 15 months ago, the number of Palestinians in Israeli prisons has risen to over 10,000. Palestinians navigate rubble to return home as Gaza ceasefire takes effect The Israeli practice of “administrative detention” allows authorities to imprison individuals based on secret evidence without charges or trials. This has been a source of frustration for many, including Amjad Abu Asab, head of the Detainees’ Parents Committee in Jerusalem, who highlighted the lack of transparency in the process. The terms of the ceasefire stipulate that the released prisoners cannot be re-arrested for the same charges or returned to jail to complete sentences for past offenses. No documents are signed upon release. Conditions for prisoners deteriorated severely after the war in Gaza began. Israel’s then-national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, vowed that prisons would no longer be “summer camps.” Released prisoners reported inadequate food, medical care, and overcrowded conditions. Prisoners, both male and female, have been subjected to beatings, pepper spray, and deprivation of family visits or even clean clothes. One of the most prominent prisoners released was Khalida Jarrar, 62, a leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, a leftist faction involved in armed resistance. Human Rights Watch condemned her repeated arrests as part of Israel’s unjust crackdown on non-violent political opposition. While some families celebrated the release, others expressed concern that the ceasefire wouldn’t last long enough to see the return of their relatives. Negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire will aim to release all remaining hostages and secure long-term peace, but uncertainty remains. For Yassar Saadat, the release of his mother, Abla Abdelrasoul, who had been in “administrative detention,” was a bittersweet moment. His father, Ahmad Saadat, a high-profile leader of the Popular Front, remains imprisoned, and it’s uncertain whether he will be released. The release of some prisoners convicted of killing Israelis has sparked controversy, particularly among families who have lost loved ones to such attacks. Micah Avni, whose father was murdered by a Hamas member in 2015, expressed his belief that such prisoner exchanges might not lead to lasting peace. Despite the controversy, some Palestinians see the prisoner exchanges as justified due to Israel’s arbitrary detention policies. Others, like Amal Shujaeiah, focus on the personal toll of lost time with their families. Shujaeiah, who spent over seven months in prison, was accused by Israel of participating in pro-Palestinian activities and hosting a podcast on the Gaza conflict. She expressed immense joy at being reunited with her family. “Today I am with my family and loved ones. It’s an indescribable joy, a moment of freedom that helps you forget the sorrow,” Shujaeiah said.

At least 12 Palestinians, mostly women and children, were killed in Israeli airstrikes across Gaza as the war, now in its 15th month, persists into the new year, officials reported Wednesday. A strike in the Jabaliya area of northern Gaza, heavily damaged by earlier military operations, killed seven people, including four children and a woman, and injured over a dozen others, Gaza’s Health Ministry stated. Another airstrike overnight hit the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, killing a woman and a child, according to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital. A new year dawns on a Middle East torn by conflict and change In Khan Younis, a southern city, three more people died following another Israeli attack, reports from Nasser and European Hospitals confirmed. The Israeli military said the Bureij strike targeted militants launching rockets at Israel. They also issued evacuation orders for the area. The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostages. Israel’s military offensive has since killed over 45,000 Palestinians, including women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Israel claims 17,000 of those killed were militants, though evidence has not been provided. The war has displaced nearly 90% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, many forced to relocate multiple times. Thousands now live in tents along the coast, facing harsh winter conditions. At least seven people, including six infants, have reportedly died from hypothermia. With food aid limited and prices soaring, many rely on charity kitchens for survival. AP footage captured long lines of children waiting for meals, often just rice, at one such kitchen in Deir al-Balah. Last functional hospital in Gaza torched Efforts by American and Arab mediators to negotiate a ceasefire and hostage release have repeatedly failed. Hamas demands a permanent truce, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to continue fighting until achieving “total victory.” Meanwhile, Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics reported that 82,000 Israelis emigrated in 2024, while 33,000 immigrated and another 23,000 returned after long stays abroad. This marks a second consecutive year of net emigration, raising fears of a “brain drain” in sectors like medicine and technology. In a separate incident, Israel’s military acknowledged “operational burnout” and disciplinary lapses in the November deaths of a 70-year-old archaeologist and a soldier in southern Lebanon. Zeev Erlich, a prominent West Bank settler and Jewish history researcher, was killed while exploring an archaeological site in a combat zone. An investigation is underway into how he entered the area. Despite military restrictions, reports have surfaced of Israeli civilians entering Gaza and Lebanon in support of a permanent Israeli presence, adding further complexity to the situation.

A civil liberties organisation in New York is suing US President Joe Biden for allegedly failing in his duties under international and US law to prevent Israel from committing genocide in Gaza. The case filed by the Centre for Constitutional Rights (CCR) on behalf of multiple Palestinian groups and individuals said that Israel's acts, including "mass killings," targeting of civilian infrastructure, and forced expulsions, amount to genocide, reports The Guardian. Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib accuses Biden of supporting genocide in Gaza, says colleagues more focused on silencing her According to the CCR, the 1948 international treaty against genocide demands the United States and other countries to utilise their strength and influence to put an end to the killings, it said. “As Israel’s closest ally and strongest supporter, being its biggest provider of military assistance by a large margin and with Israel being the largest cumulative recipient of US foreign assistance since World War II, the United States has the means available to have a deterrent effect on Israeli officials now pursuing genocidal acts against the Palestinian people in Gaza,” mentioned the complaint. Biden calls for humanitarian 'pause' in Israel-Hamas war The complaint, filed in federal court in California, seeks the court to prevent the United States from providing Israel with weapons, money, and diplomatic support. It also demands the president, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin “to take all measures within their power to prevent Israel’s commission of genocidal acts against the Palestinian people of Gaza.” These include putting pressure on Israel to stop bombing Gaza, ease its siege, and prevent the forceful deportation of Palestinians, the report said. The CCR, which won a landmark case in the US Supreme Court in 2004 establishing the rights of prisoners held at the Guantanamo Bay, stated that the Hamas cross-border attack on October 7, in which approximately 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were abducted, does not provide legal justification for the scale of Israel's assault on Gaza, which has killed over 11,000 Palestinians, including 4,600 children, and displaced 1.5 million people, it added. Biden wraps up his visit to wartime Israel with a warning against being 'consumed' by rage The case is being filed at the same time that the International Criminal Court is investigating Israel and Hamas for suspected war crimes. However, legal academics argue that genocide is a more difficult crime to establish and question whether the US president can be forced to conclude that Israel is committing genocide and so must intervene.

The nation is observing a Day of Mourning today (October 21, 2023) for the Palestinians killed in recent Israeli attacks.All government, semi-government, autonomous and private institutions and Bangladesh missions abroad are keeping the national flag at half-mast in observance of the mourning day.Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made the announcement on Thursday while addressing a programme arranged in Sarak Bhaban in Dhaka’s Tejgaon. Resolving Palestine crisis depends on ‘united efforts’ by Muslim Ummah: PM More than 1,400 people in Israel have been killed in the war — mostly civilians slain during the Hamas incursion while more than 4,100 people have been killed in Gaza, according to the Health Ministry run by Hamas, according to AP reports. Stop Israel-Palestine war, save women and children: PM Hasina urges world leaders

Bangladesh will observe one-day state mourning on Saturday (October 21, 2023) for the Palestinians killed in recent Israeli attacks, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has announced. She also called for offering prayers for the Palestinian victims in all mosques after jumma and other places of worship across the country on Friday. The victims of the brutal Israeli attacks are not only Muslims, but also Christian and Jews, she said. The premier made the announcements on Thursday (October 19, 2023) while addressing a programme arranged in Sarak Bhaban in the city’s Tejgaon area to open 150 newly constructed bridges in 39 districts and 14 newly constructed overpasses of the Roads and Highways Department simultaneously. Also read: PM Hasina opens 150 bridges in 39 districts in a single day She said Bangladesh will be in the fight to establish the rights of Palestinian people as repeated attacks on the Palestine can never be accepted. “Our stance is that this war will have to be stopped soon. The Palestinian people should get back their due lands occupied by Israel. The lands will have to be given back the lands to the people of Palestine,” she said.   Referring to the her Wednesday’s meeting with envoys of OIC member countries based in Dhaka,  Sheikh Hasina said she told the envoys that all have to fight unitedly for establishing the rights of Palestinian people. Also read: PM Hasina urges OIC neighbours to resolve their problems through dialogue “We’re also with them. We’ll have to fight. The repeated attacks on them can never be accepted. We can’t accept it,” she said. She said Bangladesh has already condemned the way Israel killed Palestinians – innocent people including women and children by attacking a hospital and other places in Palestine. “It is unbearable to see blood stained faces of children who were killed or injured in bombing attacks by Israel,” she said. She said Bangladesh will send medicines, dry foods and other necessary items for the people of war-torn Palestine. “We will send medicines, dry food and necessary commodities for women and children. We’ve taken this step. We’re always beside the dressed people with whatever resources we have,” she added. Also read: Resolving Palestine crisis depends on ‘united efforts’ by Muslim Ummah: PM The PM already asked the health ministry to take steps for sending medicines to the Palestinians.  In an oblique reference to BNP, Hasina said it was noticed that many still remain silent here on this issue fearing that those behind such incidents would be displeased. “Those who don’t have courage to raise voice for the oppressed people wage movement demanding the resignation (of the government), which is unfortunate,” she said. In the function, she also unveiled the foundation stones of 1,100-metre Kewatkhali Bridge and 1,471-metre Rahmatpur Bridge over Brahmaputra river in Mymensingh, opened newly constructed DTCA Bhaban for Dhaka Transport Coordination Authority, BRTA Automated Motor Vehicle Fitness Test Centre of Bangladesh Road Transport Authority, BRTC Bus Depot and Training Centre of Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation as well as conferred the financial assistance to the road accident victims. The PM inaugurated the infrastructures through a virtual platform from a programme,while the audiences were also connected virtually from Mymensingh Circuit House Ground and BRTA Office in Mirpur.

China has called on relevant countries to exercise restraint, to take an objective and just position, to work for de-escalation of conflict, and to avoid causing an even bigger blow to regional and international security. “China condemns all violence and attacks against civilians, and opposes all acts in violation of international law,” Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen said during his meeting with Yousef Ramadan, Ambassador of Palestine to Bangladesh, on Monday (October 16, 2023). Read: Death toll rises to 2,670 in Gaza: ministry The two sides exchanged in-depth views on Palestine. Ambassador Yao noted that regarding the latest round of the conflict, China believes that it is a top priority to make all-out efforts to stop the fighting as soon as possible, prevent it from spreading endlessly, and avoid further deterioration of the situation. In the meantime, he said, it is imperative to observe the international humanitarian law, make every effort to ensure the safety of civilians, open up a humanitarian rescue and assistance passage as quickly as possible, and prevent a severe humanitarian disaster. The UN should play its due role in resolving the question of Palestine, said the Chinese envoy. Read: What military support the U.S. is providing to Israel's military “The UN Security Council needs to shoulder important responsibilities for this, build international consensus as quickly as possible and take real measures to that end,” he said, adding that the protection of civilians in armed conflict is a red line under international humanitarian law. Ambassador Yao also said, the indiscriminate use of force is unacceptable, and neither Palestinian nor Israeli civilians should be targeted. “The safety of UN staff and humanitarian workers must be guaranteed.” China is communicating with the relevant parties, according to Chinese Embassy in Dhaka. The special envoy of the Chinese government on the Middle East issue will soon visit relevant countries in the region and make active efforts to facilitate a cessation of violence and de-escalate the situation. In the meantime, China calls for a more authoritative, influential and broad-based international peace conference to be held under the auspices of the UN to build international consensus for peace and work for a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine at an early date. Ambassador Yao pointed out that regarding the question of Palestine, it is at the heart of the Middle East issue and a wound that keeps being torn open in today’s world. “The root cause of this question lies in the long delay in realizing the dream of an independent State of Palestine and the failure to redress the historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people,” he said. “Israel has the right to statehood, so does Palestine. The Israelis have obtained the safeguards for survival, but who will care about the survival of the Palestinians? The Jewish nation is no longer homeless in the world, but when will the Palestinian nation return to its home? There is no shortage of injustices in the world, but the injustice to Palestine has dragged on for over half a century. The sufferings that plagued generations must not continue,” said the Chinese ambassador.  Read: Israel's Netanyahu vows to 'destroy' Hamas, says Gaza offensive still in early stages The answer to the question is the two-state solution and an independent State of Palestine, he said. “This is how Palestine and Israel could coexist in peace and how the Arabs and Jews could live in harmony. Only when the two-state solution is fully implemented can the Middle East truly enjoy peace and Israel enjoy lasting security,” said Ambassador Yao. He said the right way to advance the two-state solution is to resume peace talks as soon as possible. “All mechanisms for peace must play a positive role.” Ambassador Yao stressed that on the question of Palestine, China will continue to stand on the side of peace, on the side of justice, on the side of international law, on the side of shared aspirations of the majority of countries in the world, and on the side of human conscience. Read more: Relocation of Gaza residents extremely dangerous: UN chief

Humanitarian groups are scrambling to assist civilians caught in the war between Israel and Hamas and determine what aid operations are still safe to continue, efforts that are being complicated by an intensified blockade of Gaza and ongoing fighting. Two days after Hamas militants went on a rampage that took the world by surprise, Israel increased airstrikes on Gaza and blocked off food, fuel and other supplies from going into the territory, a move that raised concerns at the United Nations and among aid groups operating in the area home to 2.3 million people. Hamas, in turn, pledged to kill Israelis it abducted if the country’s military bombs civilian targets in Gaza without warning. Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands wounded on both sides, and aid groups operating in the region say there are needs both in Gaza and Israel. More than 2 tons of medical supplies from the Egyptian Red Crescent have been sent to Gaza and efforts are underway to organize food and other deliveries, according to an Egyptian military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the press. But the United Nations and other aid groups are pleading for more access to help Palestinians who find themselves in the middle of intense fighting. Doctors Without Borders, which is still operating in Gaza, has to rely on supplies it already has inside the territory because it can’t bring any more in, said Emmanuel Massart, a deputy desk coordinator with the organization in Brussels. Read: Israel's intelligence prowess questioned after Hamas attack The group — which says it only runs programs in Palestinian areas since Israel has strong emergency and health services — reported Monday that it provided treatments to more than 50 people following airstrikes at the Jabalia refugee camp located north of Gaza City. In addition to helping patients in Gaza, it said it was donating medical supplies to other clinics and hospitals, which have become overcrowded with patients and are experiencing shortages of drugs and fuel that can be used for generators. If Doctors Without Borders is not able to resupply fairly quickly, Massart said, it will run out of supplies it can use to operate on patients who might be wounded. He also said since the facilities the organization uses are running on generators due to the low supply of electricity, cutting off fuel will present a “huge problem.” “If there is no fuel anymore, there is no medical facilities anymore because we cannot run our medical facility without the energy,” Massart said. The war has also been deeply disruptive to work Mercy Corps has been doing to provide people in Gaza with necessities like food and water, said Arnaud Quemin, the Middle East regional director for the organization. Right now, he said the team on the ground is trying to find a scenario that would enable them to get back to work. The blockade of food and other supplies into Gaza is a major worry. “We are very concerned with the way things are going at this point because it looks like it’s going to get worse – very soon,” Quemin said. The sealing of Gaza, he said, will create “humanitarian needs very quickly.” Read: Israel intensifies its strikes and vows to besiege Gaza as it scours south for Hamas fighters Governments have also been weighing how to respond. As the fighting intensified, the European Union on late Monday reversed an earlier announcement by an EU commissioner that the bloc was “immediately” suspending aid for Palestinian authorities. Instead, the 27-nation group said it would urgently review the assistance it provides in the wake of Hamas’ attacks on Israel. Two European countries — Germany and Austria — said they were suspending development aid for Palestinian areas. Meanwhile, some organizations are stepping up aid efforts in Israel, which has seen displacement because of the violence. Naomi Adler, CEO of Hadassah, The Women’s Zionist Organization of America, said a trauma center in Jerusalem that’s owned by the organization is treating wounded Israeli soldiers and civilians. About 90% of the patients in the center right now are soldiers, who are typically the first to be brought in for traumatic injuries, Adler said. But the center also accepts anyone who’s wounded or injured in the country. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, a Jewish humanitarian organization, said on Sunday that it was activating its emergency response team in Israel, where it runs programs to support people with disabilities, the elderly and children and families who’ve been impacted by the war and prior conflicts. The organization said it was working with its partners, including in the Israeli government, to address what it called an unprecedented emergency. JDC’s CEO Ariel Zwang said among other things the nonprofit is helping teachers, social workers and other caregivers provide support to those who’ve suffered trauma and tragedies from the events of the past few days. She said it will help nursey teachers, for example, explain to children why some of their classmates are suddenly missing. “If you’re a teacher now, if you know the children are traumatized, you need special skills and special training in order to manage what you’re experiencing and provide for the emotional needs, which are extraordinary at this time, of your youngest charges,” Zwang said. Read: Israel intensifies Gaza strikes and battles to repel Hamas, with over 1,100 dead in fighting so far One organization that helps Palestinian children is shifting its focus, too. Steve Sosebee, the president of Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, a U.S.-based charity that helps children in need travel to the U.S. for medical treatment, said given the war, the fund is now looking away from long-term programs and toward more urgent needs for food, medication, clothing and other types of basic humanitarian aid. But like others, he noted the blockade and security risks to its Gaza staff makes it more challenging to do that. “There are no areas of security, there are no safe havens,” Sosebee said. “And therefore, it’s very difficult for us to be out in the field providing humanitarian aid when there are no safe places from the constant bombing and attacks that are taking place over the last 72 hours.” Read more: Everything you need to know about Hamas

Israeli troops on Wednesday entered a major Palestinian city in the occupied West Bank in a rare, daytime arrest operation, triggering fighting that killed at least 10 Palestinians and wounded scores of others. The raid, which reduced a building to rubble and left a series of shops riddled with bullets, was one of the bloodiest battles in nearly a year of fighting in the West Bank and east Jerusalem. A 72-year-old man was among the 10 killed and 102 people were wounded, Palestinian officials said. The brazen raid, coupled with the high death toll, raised the prospect of further bloodshed. A similar raid last month was followed by a deadly Palestinian attack outside a Jerusalem synagogue, and the Hamas militant group warned that “its patience is running out.” The Israeli military said it entered the city to arrest three wanted militants suspected in previous shooting attacks in the West Bank. It said it tracked down the men in a hideout. The army said it surrounded the building and asked the men to surrender, but instead they opened fire. It said all three were killed in a shootout. Also Read: Palestinian teen killed in Israeli army raid in West Bank It said that during the raid, armed suspects “shot heavily toward the forces,” which responded with live fire. It said others hurled rocks and explosives at the troops. There were no Israeli casualties. It released photos of what it said were two automatic rifles confiscated in the raid. In the Old City of Nablus, people stared at the rubble that had been a large home in the centuries-old casbah. From one end to the other, shops were riddled with bullets. Parked cars were crushed. Blood stained the cement ruins. Furniture from the destroyed home was scattered among mounds of debris. The Palestinian Health Ministry said of the 102 people wounded, six were in critical condition. Palestinian militant groups claimed three of the dead as members. But a 72-year-old man was also killed. There was no immediate word on whether the others belonged to armed groups. Also Read: Palestinian man, Israeli child die as bloodshed rises An amateur video posted online appeared to show security camera footage of two young men running down a street. Gunshots are heard, and both falls to the ground, with one's hat flying off his head. Both bodies remained still. Amateur video footage appeared to show Israeli troops operating in downtown Nablus, and army vehicles firing tear gas canisters. Last month, Israeli troops killed 10 militants in a similar raid in the northern West Bank. The following day, a lone Palestinian gunman opened fire near a synagogue in an east Jerusalem settlement, killing seven people. Days later, five Palestinians were killed in an Israeli arrest raid elsewhere in the West Bank. That was followed by a Palestinian car ramming that killed three Israelis, including two young brothers, in Jerusalem. The fighting comes at a sensitive time, less than two months after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's new hard-line government took office. The government is dominated by ultranationalists who have pushed for tougher action against Palestinian militants. Israeli media have quoted top security officials as expressing concern that this could lead to even more violence. In the Gaza Strip, a spokesman for the ruling Hamas militant group issued a veiled threat. “The resistance in Gaza is observing the enemy’s escalating crimes against our people in the occupied West Bank, and its patience is running out,” said Abu Obeida, a spokesman for the group. The group has battled Israel to four wars since seizing control of Gaza in 2007, and Israeli officials have expressed concerns about rising tensions ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins in March. At least 55 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank and east Jerusalem this year, a pace that could exceed last year's death toll. Last year, nearly 150 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank and east Jerusalem, making it the deadliest year in those areas since 2004, according to figures by the Israeli rights group B’Tselem. Israel says that most of those killed have been militants but others — including youths protesting the incursions and other people not involved in confrontations — have also been killed. An AP tally has found that just under half of those killed belonged to militant groups. Israel says the military raids are meant to dismantle militant networks and thwart future attacks while the Palestinians view them as further entrenchment of Israel’s open-ended, 55-year occupation. Israel captured the West Bank, east Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Mideast war, territories the Palestinians seek for their hoped-for independent state.  

Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian man in the occupied West Bank on Sunday following a struggle at a military checkpoint, the Palestinian Health Ministry said, the latest death in a monthslong spiral of violence between Israelis and Palestinians. The circumstances of the shooting were in dispute. The Israeli army claimed the man tried to grab a soldier's weapon, while witnesses and relatives said he was shot while trying to defend himself during an inspection that turned violent. Read more: Thousands of Israelis rally against Netanyahu government The Israeli military said soldiers spotted what they deemed a suspicious vehicle that refused to stop for a “routine inspection” near the West Bank town of Silwad. A clash broke out when the soldiers attempted to detain one of the people in the vehicle, and soldiers opened fire when a passenger tried to grab a soldier's weapon. Maher Shafiq, a Palestinian witness, said the violence erupted after motorists began honking their horns due to lengthy delays in allowing cars to pass through the checkpoint. He said soldiers fired a stun grenade that hit the man's car, prompting him to yell at them. He said soldiers began beating the man and dragged him out of the car. “He tried to defend himself, so one of the soldiers shot him in cold blood,” Shafiq said. A video circulating on social media showed what appeared to be an altercation, with a man struggling and jostling with a soldier, and the sounds of two gunshots before he falls to the ground. The Palestinian Health Ministry identified the man killed as Ahmad Kahla, 45. Rights groups accuse Israel of using excessive force against Palestinians. The military says it contends with complex, life-threatening situations. Tensions have been surging for months in the occupied territory, where the Israeli military has been staging nightly arrest raids since last spring. The raids were prompted by a wave of Palestinian attacks against Israelis that killed 19 people, while another 10 Israelis were killed in a second string of attacks later last year. Nearly 150 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire in the West Bank and east Jerusalem in 2022, according to figures by the Israeli rights group B'Tselem, making it the deadliest year since 2004. Since the start of this year, 13 Palestinians have been killed, according to a tally by The Associated Press. Read more: Palestinian man succumbs to wounds in Israeli West Bank raid Israel says most of the dead were militants. But Palestinian stone-throwers, youths protesting the incursions and others not involved in confrontations also have been killed. Israel says the raids are meant to dismantle militant networks and thwart future attacks. The Palestinians see them as further entrenchment of Israel's open-ended, 55-year occupation of lands they seek for their future independent state. Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war, along with the Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, territories the Palestinians want for their hoped-for state. Israel has since settled 500,000 people in about 130 settlements across the West Bank, which the Palestinians and much of the international community view as an obstacle to peace.