Latest news with #B'Tselem
Al Mayadeen
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
Israeli assault on West Bank continues, leaving over 40,000 displaced
Israeli occupation forces (IOF) began demolishing homes in the Tulkarm refugee camp in the occupied West Bank, as their rightful residents stood, notably Mahmoud Lutfi, contemplating what belongings to save before their houses were reduced to rubble. A report published by Reuters on Wednesday detailed that the 51-year-old father of six managed to rent a small room in the nearby city of Tulkarm, which remains an unsustainable option because he has no source of income. "I can't access my electronics repair shop inside the besieged camp," he said, raising concern over how he will support his family. 'We were displaced on January 27, 2024. They evicted us and told us not to return. It's been six months and we still can't go back,' Lutfi told Reuters. Most residents, he said, fled with nothing. 'If you try to go back to get your things, you risk being shot or arrested. Even when coordination allows a brief visit, you barely have time to retrieve anything.' He added that many families were worse off, forced to live in overcrowded schools or on agricultural land, surviving only on aid. According to Israeli rights group B'Tselem, Israeli offensives have displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, including from Tulkarm, Nur Shams, and Jenin camps. The organization estimates that over 40,000 Palestinians have been forcibly uprooted in 2024 alone. The Israeli military claimed the demolitions are aimed at combating Palestinian Resistance groups and said the destruction was "operationally necessary" to allow troops to move freely. However, the demolitions have triggered widespread international condemnation and raised alarms over what many see as an organized effort to annex the West Bank, which "Israel" occupied in the 1967 war. This week, Reuters witnesses saw bulldozers clearing away debris from flattened homes and expanding roads surrounded by rubble. Residents scrambled to pile salvaged furniture, bedding, and cooking utensils onto trucks. Tulkarm Governor Abdullah Kamil said demolitions have surged in recent weeks, with 106 homes and 104 other buildings destroyed in Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps. "What's happening in Tulkarm is a continuous crime driven by a political decision from 'Israel'. This has nothing to do with security," Kamil stated, adding that "The infrastructure is in ruins. The camp is now a ghost town inhabited only by snipers stationed at multiple points." The assault, which began in January, is one of the largest in the West Bank since the Second Intifada over two decades ago. It involves ground forces backed by drones, helicopters, and, for the first time in years, heavy tanks. While efforts intensify to reach a ceasefire in Gaza, despite persistent Israeli obstruction, international rights groups are also expressing deep concern over escalating violence in the West Bank. Shai Barnes, communications director at B'Tselem, warned that "Israel is replicating the tactics used in Gaza, large-scale destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, and forced displacement of civilians from designated combat zones."Additionally, far-right voices in the Israeli government have openly called for the formal annexation of the West Bank. That said, Governor Kamil said the displacement crisis is adding pressure to an already struggling society, adding that thousands have taken shelter in mosques, schools, and crowded relatives' homes. Returning to the camp for the first time in six months, Lutfi was devastated by the scale of the destruction, stressing that "Most people who come back find their homes leveled. The damage is massive — wide roads, collapsed infrastructure, no electricity, no internet. Rebuilding this will take a very long time." Read more: Gaza isn't alone: West Bank suffers in shadow of ongoing Israeli war
Asharq Al-Awsat
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Asharq Al-Awsat
Clerics Accuse West Bank Israeli Settlers of Attacking Christian Sites
Christian leaders accused Israeli settlers on Monday of attacking sacred sites in the West Bank, in violence that one said was forcing some to consider quitting the occupied territory. The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III - visiting the Christian town of Taybeh with other Jerusalem-based clerics - said settlers had started a fire near a cemetery and a 5th century church there last week. "These actions are a direct and intentional threat to our local community ... but also to the historic and religious heritage," the patriarch told diplomats and journalists at a press conference in Taybeh. Settlers had also attacked homes in the area, he said. "We call for an immediate and transparent investigation on why the Israeli police did not respond to emergency calls from the local community and why these abhorrent actions continue to go unpunished," he added. Israel's government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Israel's government had previously said that any acts of violence by civilians are unacceptable and that individuals should not take the law into their own hands. During the visit, the heads of the churches led locals in prayer as candles flickered in the ruins of the 5th century church of St George. They spoke with residents who described their fears. B'Tselem and other rights groups say settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war against Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023. Dozens of Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian street attacks in recent years and the Israeli military has intensified raids across the West Bank. Palestinian health authorities and witnesses said two men, including a US citizen, were killed by settlers during a confrontation on Friday night. Fears over violence were pushing Christians to leave the West Bank, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Roman Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem since 2020, said. "Unfortunately, the temptation to emigrate is there because of the situation," he added. "This time it's very difficult to see how and when this will finish, and especially for the youth to talk about hope, trust for the future." Around 50,000 Christian Palestinians live in Jerusalem and in the West Bank, an area that includes many of the faith's most sacred sites including Bethlehem where believers say Jesus was born. Around 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war, which Palestinians see as part of a future state.
AsiaOne
15-07-2025
- Politics
- AsiaOne
Clerics accuse West Bank settlers of attacking Christian sites, World News
TAYBEH, West Bank — Christian leaders accused Israeli settlers on Monday (July 14) of attacking sacred sites in the West Bank, in violence that one said was forcing some to consider quitting the occupied territory. The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III — visiting the Christian town of Taybeh with other Jerusalem-based clerics - said settlers had started a fire near a cemetery and a 5th century church there last week. "These actions are a direct and intentional threat to our local community... but also to the historic and religious heritage," the patriarch told diplomats and journalists at a press conference in Taybeh. Settlers had also attacked homes in the area, he said. "We call for an immediate and transparent investigation on why the Israeli police did not respond to emergency calls from the local community and why these abhorrent actions continue to go unpunished," he added. Israel's government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Israel's government had previously said that any acts of violence by civilians are unacceptable and that individuals should not take the law into their own hands. During the visit, the heads of the churches led locals in prayer as candles flickered in the ruins of the 5th century church of St George. They spoke with residents who described their fears. B'Tselem and other rights groups say settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023. Dozens of Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian street attacks in recent years and the Israeli military has intensified raids across the West Bank. Palestinian health authorities and witnesses said two men, including a US citizen, were killed by settlers during a confrontation on Friday night. Fears over violence were pushing Christians to leave the West Bank, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Roman Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem since 2020, said. "Unfortunately, the temptation to emigrate is there because of the situation," he added. "This time it's very difficult to see how and when this will finish, and especially for the youth to talk about hope, trust for the future." Around 50,000 Christian Palestinians live in Jerusalem and in the West Bank, an area that includes many of the faith's most sacred sites including Bethlehem where believers say Jesus was born. Around 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war, which Palestinians see as part of a future state. [[nid:720153]]
Reuters
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Clerics accuse West Bank settlers of attacking Christian sites
TAYBEH, West Bank, July 14 (Reuters) - Christian leaders accused Israeli settlers on Monday of attacking sacred sites in the West Bank, in violence that one said was forcing some to consider quitting the occupied territory. The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, Theophilos III - visiting the Christian town of Taybeh with other Jerusalem-based clerics - said settlers had started a fire near a cemetery and a 5th century church there last week. "These actions are a direct and intentional threat to our local community ... but also to the historic and religious heritage," the patriarch told diplomats and journalists at a press conference in Taybeh. Settlers had also attacked homes in the area, he said. "We call for an immediate and transparent investigation on why the Israeli police did not respond to emergency calls from the local community and why these abhorrent actions continue to go unpunished," he added. Israel's government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Israel's government had previously said that any acts of violence by civilians are unacceptable and that individuals should not take the law into their own hands. During the visit, the heads of the churches led locals in prayer as candles flickered in the ruins of the 5th century church of St George. They spoke with residents who described their fears. B'Tselem and other rights groups say settler violence in the West Bank has risen since the start of Israel's war against Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza in late 2023. Dozens of Israelis have also been killed in Palestinian street attacks in recent years and the Israeli military has intensified raids across the West Bank. Palestinian health authorities and witnesses said two men, including a U.S. citizen, were killed by settlers during a confrontation on Friday night. Fears over violence were pushing Christians to leave the West Bank, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Roman Catholic Patriarch of Jerusalem since 2020, said. "Unfortunately, the temptation to emigrate is there because of the situation," he added. "This time it's very difficult to see how and when this will finish, and especially for the youth to talk about hope, trust for the future." Around 50,000 Christian Palestinians live in Jerusalem and in the West Bank, an area that includes many of the faith's most sacred sites including Bethlehem where believers say Jesus was born. Around 700,000 Israeli settlers live among 2.7 million Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, territories Israel captured from Jordan in the 1967 war, which Palestinians see as part of a future state.
GMA Network
09-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Israeli operations in West Bank push wave of Palestinians from their homes
Palestinian Nasser Al-Furatawi stands inside his damaged shop after Israeli soldiers turned it into a military barrack, near Tulkarm camp, during the ongoing military operation, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, July 7, 2025. REUTERS/ Raneen Sawafta TULKARM, West Bank — Malik Lutfi contemplated which of his family's belongings to salvage in the few moments he was given while Israeli troops carried out home demolitions in the Tulkarm refugee camp where he grew up in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Now 51, the father of six has rented a small room in the nearby city of Tulkarm, but without access to his electronic repair shop in the cordoned-off camp, he has no income to meet the rent, sparking anxiety about his family's future. With bulldozers roaring outside, he said: "They kicked us out six months ago and we are still out. When you go back you try to bring anything you can, but in two hours with only our hands, you cannot bring many things." He said he knew many families in a worse situation even than his, pushed to living in crowded schools or on patches of farmland. "We are waiting for help," he said. Israeli operations are pushing tens of thousands of West Bank Palestinians like Lutfi out of their homes, says B'Tselem, the independent Israeli human rights information center for the occupied territories. Around 40,000 residents from the Tulkarm, Nur Shams and Jenin refugee camps have been displaced by the military operation this year, B'Tselem said. Israel says it is acting against flashpoints of militancy, including the northern cities of Tulkarm and Jenin. "This requires the demolition of buildings, allowing the forces to operate freely and move unhindered within the area," an Israeli military spokesperson said in a statement on Tuesday. "The decision to demolish these structures is based on operational necessity and was made only after considering alternative options," the statement said. Israeli demolitions have drawn widespread international criticism and coincide with heightened fears among Palestinians of an organized effort by Israel to formally annex the West Bank, the area seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war. Reuters witnesses this week saw bulldozers ploughing through buildings and wide, new roads lined by rubble that bulldozers had carved out by demolishing concrete homes. Residents piled chairs, blankets and cooking equipment onto trucks. Tulkarm's governor Abdullah Kamil said in recent weeks the destruction had intensified, with 106 homes and 104 other buildings in the nearby Tulkarm and Nur Shams camps destroyed. "What is happening in Tulkarm is an Israeli political decision, the issue has nothing to do with security," Kamil, the Palestinian governor, said. "There is nothing left in the camp, it has become a ghost camp." Israel's northern West Bank operation which began in January has been one of the biggest since the Second Intifada uprising by Palestinians more than 20 years ago, involving several brigades of troops earlier this year backed by drones, helicopters and, for the first time in decades, heavy battle tanks. Simmering situation As efforts ramp up in Washington and Qatar to secure a Gaza ceasefire deal, some international officials and rights groups say they are also worried about the simmering situation for Palestinians in the West Bank. "In the northern West Bank, Israel has begun replicating tactics and combat doctrines honed in its current offensive on Gaza," said Shai Parnes, public outreach director at B'Tselem. "This includes and deliberate destruction of homes and civilian infrastructure, and forced displacement of civilians from areas designated by the military as combat zones." Israeli hardliners inside and outside the government have called repeatedly for Israel to annex the West Bank, a kidney-shaped area around 100 kilometers (62 miles) long that Palestinians see as the core of a future independent state, along with Gaza and with East Jerusalem as its capital. Israeli government ministers deny that the West Bank operation has any wider purpose than battling militant groups. The Israeli military in its statement said it was following international law and targeting militancy. Kamil, the Palestinian governor, said displacement was putting pressure on a community already reeling economically, with thousands sheltering in mosques, schools and overcrowded homes with relatives. Returning for the first time in six months, Lutfi said he was shocked at the scale of damage. "Most people when they come back to look at their homes, they find them destroyed, the destruction that meets them is enormous: wide streets, destroyed infrastructure and electricity," he said. "If we want to rebuild, it will take a long time." — Reuters
