Early Sunday morning witnessed fierce clashes between Palestinian resistance forces and Israeli occupation forces in the town of Meithalun, south of Jenin in the occupied West Bank. Following an incursion by the Israeli army and a campaign of arrests across other West Bank towns, the occupation also demolished the homes of two martyrs responsible for last November’s tunnel operation.
Palestinian media reported that the resistance fighters fired gunshots and homemade bombs, known as “elbows”, towards the invading occupation forces in Meithalun. They also detonated explosive devices targeting Israeli military vehicles. Meanwhile, occupation soldiers responded with tear gas and sound grenades, with no casualties reported.
Additionally, Israeli forces stormed the town of Aaroura northwest of Ramallah and the city of Nablus, detaining several Palestinians after raiding their homes and tampering with their contents.
The Israeli military also conducted field interrogations of some Palestinians following the incursion into the village of Marda, north of Salfit, and searched a number of homes, although no arrests were reported in the town.
Al Jazeera’s correspondent reported that Israeli forces invaded Qalqilya in the northern West Bank, patrolling the city’s streets.
Palestinian resistance fighters also opened fire towards the Dottan military checkpoint near the West Bank city of Jenin.
The correspondent noted that Israeli forces invaded the “traffic department” area in Hebron, in the West Bank, closing all entrances leading to the area.
On Saturday, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club indicated that the number of arrests in the West Bank had reached 6,155 since October 7.
The moment of the occupation’s explosion of the home of martyr Nassarallah Qawasmi, who executed the tunnel operation in Hebron pic.twitter.com/bs2m6KY5Lo
— Shehab Agency (@ShehabAgency) January 21, 2024
House Demolition
In Hebron as well, Al Jazeera’s correspondent Montaser Nassar reported that Israeli occupation forces detonated the home of the Qassami martyr Nassarallah Qawasmi in the city of Hebron, located in the southern part of the West Bank. They also demolished the home of his brother, the Qassami martyr Abdul Qader Qawasmi.
The Israeli military destroyed the homes after forcing residents of the area to evacuate.
The two martyrs had carried out an operation at the military checkpoint near the Tunnel south of Jerusalem on November 16, resulting in the death of an Israeli soldier and the injury of seven Israelis with varying degrees of wounds.
