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Ammon
6 days ago
- Politics
- Ammon
Beyond Gaza's shadow: The unseen war for the West Bank's future
Israel is meticulously following a textbook model of instigating unrest in the occupied West Bank. The latest such provocations consisted of stripping the Palestinian-run Hebron (Al-Khalil) municipality of its administrative powers over the venerable Ibrahimi Mosque. Worse, according to Israel Hayom, it granted these powers to the religious council of the Kiryat Arba Jewish settlement, an extremist settler body. Though all Jewish settlers in occupied Palestine can be qualified as extremists, the approximately 7,500 inhabitants of Kiryat Arba represent a more virulent category. This settlement, established in 1972, serves as a strategic foothold to justify subjecting Hebron to stricter military control than virtually any other part of the West Bank. Kiryat Arba is infamously linked to Baruch Goldstein, the US-Israeli settler who, in February 1994, unleashed a horrific attack. He opened fire at Muslim worshipers kneeling for dawn prayer at the Ibrahimi Mosque, mercilessly killing 29. This bloodbath was swiftly followed by another, where the Israeli army brutally cracked down on Palestinian protesters in Hebron and across the West Bank, murdering an additional 25 Palestinians. Yet, the Israeli Shamgar Commission, tasked with investigating the massacre, resolved in 1994 that the Palestinian mosque, a site of profound religious significance, was to be grotesquely divided: 63% allocated to Jewish worshipers and a mere 37% to Palestinian Muslims. Since that calamitous decision, oppressive restrictions have been systematically imposed. These include pervasive surveillance and, at times, unjustifiable, extended closures of the site, solely for exclusive settler use. The latest decision, described by Israel Hayom as "historic and unprecedented," is profoundly dangerous. It places the fate of this historic Palestinian mosque directly into the hands of those fanatically keen on acquiring the holy site in its entirety. But the Ibrahimi Mosque is merely a microcosm of something far more sinister underway across the West Bank. Israel has exploited its war in Gaza to dramatically escalate its violence, carry out mass arrests, confiscate vast tracts of land, systematically destroy Palestinian farms and orchards, and aggressively expand illegal settlements. Though the West Bank, previously largely subdued by joint Israeli military pressures and Palestinian Authority crackdowns, was not a direct party to the October 7, 2023, assault nor the ongoing Israeli genocide in Gaza, it has inexplicably become a major focus for Israeli military measures. In the first year of the war, over 10,400 Palestinians were detained in Israeli army crackdowns, with thousands held without charge. Furthermore, hundreds of Palestinians have been forcibly ethnically cleansed, largely from the northern West Bank, where entire refugee camps and towns have been systematically destroyed in protracted Israeli military campaigns. Israel's overarching aim remains the strangulation of the West Bank. This is achieved by severing communities using ubiquitous military checkpoints, imposing total closures of vast regions, and the cruel suspension of work permits for Palestinian laborers, who are almost entirely dependent on the Israeli work market for survival. This insidious plan also explicitly targeted all Palestinian holy sites, including the revered Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, and the Ibrahimi Mosque. Even when these shrines were nominally accessible, age restrictions and suffocating military checkpoints make it difficult, at times utterly impossible, for Palestinians to worship there. In August 2024, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asserted that his relentless violent campaign against the West Bank was part of confronting the "broader Iran terror axis." Practically, this statement served as a green light for the Israeli army to treat the West Bank as an extension of the ongoing Israeli genocide on Gaza. By mid-July 2025, over 900 Palestinians had been killed by the Israeli army in the West Bank, while at least 15 were murdered by settlers. As Palestinians were pushed further against the wall, with no centralized strategy by their leadership to meaningfully resist, Israel exponentially increased its illegal settlement constructions and the brazen legalization of numerous outposts, many built illegally even by Israeli government standards. Israel's actions in the West Bank were not a sudden deviation but consistent with a long-standing, insidious scheme. This includes a plan solidified by the Israeli Knesset in 2020 that allowed Israel to officially annex the West Bank. Israel's ultimate goal has always been to confine the majority of Palestinians into Bantustan-like enclaves, while asserting full control over the vast majority of the region. In August 2023, extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir articulated this sinister vision: "My right, the right of my wife and my children to move around Judea and Samaria (the occupied West Bank) is more important than freedom of movement for the Arabs." More coercive measures swiftly followed, including Knesset laws to significantly curtail UNRWA operations, and further legislation to entrench de facto annexation. Last May, Smotrich audaciously announced 22 more settlements. On July 2, 14 Israeli ministers made a public call on Netanyahu to immediately annex the West Bank. In fact, every action Israel has undertaken, especially since the commencement of its devastating genocide in Gaza, has been carefully calculated to culminate in the irreversible annexation of the West Bank - a process that would inevitably be followed by declaring native inhabitants persona non grata in their own homeland. This level of systemic pressure and oppression will ultimately lead to a popular explosion. Though suppressed by the brutality of the Israeli army, the terror of armed settlers, and the suppressive actions of the Palestinian Authority, the breaking point is fast approaching. Those in the West who preach hollow calls for calm and de-escalation must understand the region is hurtling towards the brink. Neither diplomatic platitudes nor sterile press releases will suffice to avert the catastrophe. They are advised to act decisively against Israel's destructive policies, and they must act immediately. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of six books. His latest book, co-edited with Ilan Pappé, is 'Our Vision for Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders and Intellectuals Speak Out'. His other books include 'My Father was a Freedom Fighter' and 'The Last Earth'. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA)
Middle East Eye
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Palestinians warn of ‘dangerous' Israeli plan to hand Ibrahimi Mosque to settlers
Palestinians have warned of a "dangerous" Israeli move reportedly aimed at transferring control of Hebron's Ibrahimi Mosque to settlers in the occupied West Bank. According to a report by Israel Hayom earlier this week, Israel plans to strip the Palestinian-run Hebron Municipality of administrative authority over the historic site. The site would be handed over to the religious council of the nearby Kiryat Arba settlement, built on Hebron's land. The report described the plan as an "unprecedented" step, marking the most significant change to the site's status since 1994. The Islamic Waqf in Hebron told Middle East Eye it had not received any official notification. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters Muataz Abu Sneineh, director of the Ibrahimi Mosque, said that if confirmed, the plan would constitute a 'blatant and dangerous assault' on a site of deep 'religious, historical and archaeological' importance. He cautioned that the report may be a test to gauge Palestinian reaction before any formal steps are taken. 'These announcements are dangerous and aim to advance Judaisation plans' - Muataz Abu Sneineh, Ibrahimi Mosque director 'The mosque's guards are still performing their duties, and nothing has changed, but these announcements are dangerous and aim to advance Judaisation plans that could alter the status quo here,' he told MEE. Abu Sneineh added that any interference with the mosque's affairs or physical structure suggests Israel is exploiting the current wars to impose a new reality on the ground. 'Israel continues its violations and disregards all international laws, as this site is on the Unesco list of Palestinian World Heritage sites, and is recognised by human rights organisations,' he said. Palestinians reject the plan The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that the reported Israeli plans represent a 'blatant violation of international law'. The ministry urged Unesco and the international community to intervene immediately, warning of the move's potential to escalate tensions and undermine the sanctity of religious sites. 'The Ministry considers this an unprecedented step in Israel's ongoing efforts to assert sovereignty over the site, Judaize it, and alter its identity and historical features,' it said in a statement. Hebron's mayor, Tayseer Abu Sneineh, echoed the condemnation. In a press statement, he warned that altering the mosque's status would be a 'serious violation of international law and all relevant agreements', including the Hebron Protocol and the Shamgar Committee recommendations, which were issued after the 1994 Ibrahimi Mosque massacre. 'Despite [its plans] being unjust and unilateral, the occupation continues to adhere to some aspects of these recommendations,' he added. 'We have not yet received an official decision, but in principle, we reject it completely. It is a political, cultural and religious aggression against Hebron, and an attack on the municipality's legitimate authority, including over the Ibrahimi Mosque and its surroundings." Restrictions and violations The Ibrahimi Mosque has long been subject to Israeli restrictions and violations. These include repeated bans on the call to prayer, the closure of entrances to Muslim worshippers, settler incursions, the confiscation of keys to rooms and courtyards, invasive searches of worshippers, and harassment of nearby residents. Just last week, Israeli settlers held a wedding in the mosque's courtyard. A source within the Hebron Municipality told MEE that municipal crews are routinely harassed and blocked by Israeli soldiers when attempting to access the site. Amid Iran war, Israel seals off Al-Aqsa Mosque in unprecedented move Read More » Israeli forces deliberately prevent them from completing their work, the source said, requesting anonymity for safety reasons. The Hebron Rehabilitation Committee also faces frequent obstruction by Israeli forces, who prevent any restoration work inside or around the mosque. The Ibrahimi Mosque is regarded as a holy site by Muslims, Jews and Christians alike as the birthplace of Prophet Abraham, patriarch of all three religions. It is known to Israelis as the Cave of the Patriarchs. In 1994, an armed Israeli settler, Baruch Goldstein, entered the complex during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan and opened fire on Muslim worshippers, killing 29 people and wounding more than 120. Following the attack, the site was divided into a mosque and a synagogue, paving the way for regular settler incursions and expanded Israeli control over both the mosque and the city of Hebron.
Middle East Eye
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israeli settler council seizes control of historic Ibrahimi Mosque in West Bank
Israeli authorities have stripped the Palestinian-run Hebron municipality of administrative powers over the Ibrahimi Mosque and transferred them to a settler religious council, the Israel Hayom daily reported on Tuesday. Describing the move as a "historic and unprecedented change", the newspaper said Israeli authorities plan to make "structural changes" at the site. The Ibrahimi compound - known to Israelis as the Cave of the Patriarchs - was split into a mosque and synagogue following the 1994 massacre of dozens of Palestinian worshippers at the hands of American-Israeli settler Baruch Goldstein. The report said that "this is the most dramatic work to be done at the site since 1994, as part of a fundamental changes taking place at the site". Local Palestinians say the Israeli government has been slowly chipping away at Palestinian influence over the site, which, as the believed burial place of the prophet Abraham, is the second-holiest place in Judaism. For the first time this year, Israeli authorities also refused to hand over all sections of the mosque to the Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs, as is customary on the Friday of Ramadan. The move marked a significant departure from past practice. A picture shows the Ibrahimi Mosque in the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank on 16 March 2024. (AFP)
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
UN agency runs out of food in Gaza as Israel's blockade cuts off aid
The UN's World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday that it has depleted all its food stocks in the Gaza Strip due to the ongoing Israeli blockade on humanitarian aid. "Today, WFP delivered its last remaining food stocks to hot meals kitchens in the Gaza Strip," the WFP said in a statement. "These kitchens are expected to fully run out of food in the coming days." "For weeks, hot meal kitchens have been the only consistent source of food assistance for people in Gaza. Despite reaching just half the population with only 25% of daily food needs, they have provided a critical lifeline," the statement added. No humanitarian or commercial supplies have entered Gaza for more than seven weeks as all main border crossing points remain closed. "This is the longest closure the Gaza Strip has ever faced, exacerbating already fragile markets and food systems," the WFP said. Food prices in Gaza have "skyrocketed up to 1,400%" since the ceasefire, and critical shortages are "raising serious nutrition concerns for vulnerable populations," including young children, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and the elderly, the WFP said. The agency warned that the situation has "once again reached a breaking point" and, without urgent steps to open the borders, "WFP's critical assistance may be forced to end." Israel accuses the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas of seizing aid supplies by force and selling them at high prices to the civilian population. Witnesses have also reported in the past that members of Hamas stole aid supplies, in some cases under threat of armed violence. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said in early March that humanitarian aid had become Hamas' main source of income. The last ceasefire phase between Israel and Hamas collapsed a month ago, with Israeli armed forces resuming their attacks from the ground and the air. At least 1.9 million people — approximately 90% of Gaza's population — have been displaced, many multiple times, according to UN figures. 18 said killed in two strikes in Khan Younis Israeli airstrikes on two houses in the southern Gaza Strip killed 18 people, according to a local Palestinian-run health facility. The homes of two families in the southern city of Khan Younis were hit, staff at the Nasser Hospital said. The information could not be independently verified. The Israeli military did not initially comment on the reported incident. Five members of one family were earlier killed in an Israeli airstrike, Palestinian media reported. According to news agency WAFA, a man, his pregnant wife and their three children were killed when their tent in the al-Mawasi refugee camp in southern Gaza was hit. WAFA also reported that a 3-year-old child was killed when a fire broke out in one of the tents at the camp. It was initially unclear whether the blaze was caused by the attack. Al-Mawasi, a sprawling and squalid series of encampments along Gaza's south-west Mediterranean coast, had previously been designated as a humanitarian zone by the Israeli military. However, the camp has repeatedly been hit by Israeli airstrikes, with the military saying it was targeting infrastructure operated by Palestinian extremist group Hamas. Israel demands release of hostages Israel's stated intention is to crush Hamas and free the last Israeli hostages being held by them. Israeli authorities believe 24 hostages are still alive in the Gaza Strip, while Hamas and its allies hold the bodies of 35 others. They were kidnapped by Hamas terrorists during the unprecedented attack on October 7, 2023, when some 1,200 people were killed in Israeli communities and more than 250 Israelis taken hostage. According to the Hamas-controlled health authority in the Gaza Strip, more than 51,300 people have been killed since then. The figures do not distinguish between civilian and militant deaths.
Al Jazeera
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Trump moves to deport Indian pro-Palestinian Georgetown University student
An Indian postdoctoral researcher at Georgetown University who spoke out against Israel's war in Gaza is facing deportation after being detained under United States President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Badar Khan Suri was designated for deportation for 'spreading Hamas propaganda and promoting antisemitism' on social media, Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), said on Wednesday. 'Suri has close connections to a known or suspected terrorist, who is a senior advisor to Hamas,' McLaughlin said on X. 'The Secretary of State issued a determination on March 15, 2025 that Suri's activities and presence in the United States rendered him deportable under INA section 237(a)(4)(C)(i).' McLaughlin did not provide evidence for her claim of ties between Suri and Hamas, the group that governs Gaza. Suri, a postdoctoral fellow at Georgetown University's Alwaleed Bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, is currently being held at a US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility at Alexandria international airport in Louisiana, according to ICE's online detention locator. Ahmad Hassan, a lawyer representing Suri, on Wednesday filed a petition for the researcher's release at the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, according to a court filing. Hassan did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Al Jazeera. Suri's wife, Mapheze Saleh, confirmed to Al Jazeera that she is a US citizen. She directed further questions to a legal representative for Suri. In a statement to Al Jazeera, a spokesperson for Georgetown University said Suri had been granted a student visa to carry out 'doctoral research on peace-building in Iraq and Afghanistan'. 'We are not aware of him engaging in any illegal activity, and we have not received a reason for his detention,' the spokesperson said. 'We support our community members' rights to free and open inquiry, deliberation and debate, even if the underlying ideas may be difficult, controversial or objectionable. We expect the legal system to adjudicate this case fairly.' An X account using Suri's name, likeness, and Georgetown University affiliation made a number of criticisms of Israel and expressions of support for the Palestinian cause. In a post in June, the account accused India of being 'an enabler of genocide' after the Palestinian-run Quds News Network posted footage purporting to show the remnants of an Israeli missile labelled 'Made in India'. 'From being an ally of Palestinians, to enabler of a genocide. What a disgrace for Made in India, to supply missiles to Israel so that Palestinian children can be butchered,' Suri said. 'Change of values for blood money. Shame.' In an October 2023 post, the account said many Indians supported Israel for the 'hate of Muslims', not 'for the love of Israel'. Suri's detention comes less than two weeks after the DHS arrested Columbia University student Mahmoud Khalil over his involvement in pro-Palestinian protests. On Wednesday, a federal court ruled that Khalil, a permanent US resident, could proceed with a legal challenge against the Trump administration's order for his deportation. Judge Jesse Furman ruled that Khalil's argument that his removal would violate his free speech and due process rights under the US Constitution warranted 'careful review'.
