Israel Seals off the Occupied West Bank
Israel closed all checkpoints to the Israeli-occupied West Bank Friday as the country attacked Iran, a military official said Friday.
The move sealed off entry and exit to the territory, meaning that Palestinians could not leave without special coordination.
The official spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military recommendations.
Around 3 million Palestinians live in the West Bank under Israeli military rule.
With the world's attention focused on Gaza, Israeli military operations in the West Bank have grown in size, frequency and intensity.
The crackdown has also left tens of thousands unemployed, as they can no longer work the mostly menial jobs in Israel that paid higher wages.
Israel launched a wave of strikes across Iran on Friday that targeted its nuclear program and military sites, killing at least two top military officers and raising the prospect of an all-out war between the two bitter adversaries. It appeared to be the most significant attack Iran has faced since its 1980s war with Iraq.
The strikes came amid simmering tensions over Iran's rapidly advancing nuclear program and appeared certain to trigger a reprisal. In its first response, Iran fired more than 100 drones at Israel. Israel said the drones were being intercepted outside its airspace, and it was not immediately clear whether any got through.
Israeli leaders cast the attack as necessary to head off an imminent threat that Iran would build nuclear bombs, though it remains unclear how close the country is to achieving that.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
42 minutes ago
- Al Arabiya
Israel army says striking Iran missile launchers
Israel's military said Saturday it was striking dozens of missile launchers in Iran, after Tehran fired multiple barrages in response to its strikes on military and nuclear facilities. The Israeli air force 'continues striking dozens of surface-to-surface missile launchers in Iran,' the military said in a statement. It said that overnight the air force 'struck dozens of targets, including surface-to-air missile infrastructure, as part of the effort to damage the Iranian regime's aerial defense capabilities in the area of Tehran.' 'For the first time since the beginning of the war, over 1,500 kilometers (well over 900 miles) from Israeli territory, the Israeli air force struck defense arrays in the area of Tehran.' Iran struck Israel with multiple missile barrages overnight, after a massive onslaught against its nuclear and military facilities on Friday killed key generals and nuclear scientists. Israeli emergency services said two people were killed when a rocket hit a residential area early Saturday, as the two sides traded fire for a second day despite international calls for de-escalation. The commanding officer of the Israeli air force, MG Tomer Bar, said the overnight strikes in the Tehran area carried 'operational and national significance.' 'We damaged -- and will continue to damage -- strategic sites and enemy sources of knowledge,' he was quoted as saying in a military statement. 'Activities like these require complicated coordination and collaboration between different sources and capabilities in the force.'
Asharq Al-Awsat
43 minutes ago
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Coalition Bases in Northeast Syria on High Alert Amid Fears of Militia Attacks
US-led coalition forces in northeastern Syria were placed on high alert Friday following Israel's military strikes against Iran, amid concerns that Iranian-backed militias in Iraq may retaliate with cross-border attacks. Military sources reported that coalition bases in al-Hasakah province raised their alert level. Coalition aircraft conducted aerial patrols over the bases and along the Syrian-Iraqi border, anticipating potential attacks from factions aligned with Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The precautionary measures come on the heels of Israel's 'Operation Rising Lion,' which targeted senior IRGC figures in Tehran in what Israeli officials described as a preemptive strike. In response, the Iraqi militia Kata'ib Sayyid al-Shuhada warned it could dispatch dozens of suicide bombers to strike US interests if the conflict escalates. Witnesses in northeastern Syria reported heavy aerial activity over al-Malikiyah and toward the Simelka-Faysh Khabur border crossing with Iraq's Kurdistan Region early Friday. Troop movements were also observed within coalition bases. According to local sources, over 100 trucks crossed from Iraq into Syria Thursday night via the al-Waleed border crossing. The convoy reportedly delivered military equipment, vehicles, weapons, fuel, and supplies to coalition bases in Kharab al-Jir, the Rmelan oil field, Kasrak (on the Qamishli-Tel Tamr road), and al-Shaddadi in southern Hasakah. The heightened readiness follows a recent US decision to reduce its military presence in Syria, including the closure of three coalition facilities in Deir Ezzor province, among them the al-Omar oil field and the Conoco gas plant. Despite the drawdown, sources say the coalition continues to receive weekly resupply shipments from its bases in Iraqi Kurdistan, maintaining its operations against ISIS cells and sustaining patrols in the region. Meanwhile, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) carried out a joint operation with coalition forces targeting a suspected ISIS sleeper cell in the town of al-Mansoura, west of Raqqa. Three suspects were arrested, including two senior figures allegedly involved in bomb-making operations. A full curfew was imposed on the area during the raid. The SDF confirmed it seized weapons, explosive devices, and documents, and vowed to continue its counterterrorism efforts in partnership with the international coalition.
Al Arabiya
an hour ago
- Al Arabiya
Iran says talks with US ‘meaningless' after Israel attack, but yet to decide on attending
Iran said the dialogue with the US over Tehran's nuclear program is 'meaningless' after Israel's biggest-ever military strike against its longstanding enemy, but said it is yet to decide on whether to attend planned talks on Sunday. 'The other side (the US) acted in a way that makes dialogue meaningless. You cannot claim to negotiate and at the same time divide work by allowing the Zionist regime (Israel) to target Iran's territory,' state media on Saturday quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei as saying. 'It is still unclear what decision we will make on Sunday in this regard,' Baghaei was quoted as saying. He said Israel 'succeeded in influencing' the diplomatic process and the Israeli attack would not have happened without Washington's permission, accusing Washington of supporting the attack. Iran earlier accused the US of being complicit in Israel's attacks, but Washington denied the allegation and told Tehran at the United Nations Security Council that it would be 'wise' to negotiate over its nuclear program. The sixth round of US-Iran nuclear talks was set to be held on Sunday in Muscat, but it was unclear whether it would go ahead after the Israeli strikes. Iran denies that its uranium enrichment program is for anything other than civilian purposes, rejecting Israeli allegations that it is secretly developing nuclear weapons. US President Donald Trump told Reuters that he and his team had known the Israeli attacks were coming but they still saw room for an accord.
