Israeli occupation forces raided a number of Palestinian villages and towns in the West Bank during the night hours. The incursions included the camps of Ein Sultan and Aqaba Jabr in the city of Jericho, as well as the villages of Rumanah and Yamoun west of Jenin, and Kafr Qaddum east of Qalqilya, and the town of Nasariya in Nablus. The Red Crescent confirmed the injury of a Palestinian by Israeli occupation fire in the town of Qiffin north of Tulkarm. Confrontations erupted, during which the occupation soldiers opened fire and sound bombs. Armed clashes also broke out between Palestinian resistance fighters and occupation forces, which raided the town of Yamoun west of Jenin. In Jericho, the occupation army opened fire after raiding the city from its northern entrance towards anyone at their house windows.
The occupation forces have been carrying out daily raids and arrests in the cities and towns of the West Bank since the “Operation Aqsa Torrent” and the Israeli war on Gaza that broke out on October 7. The pace of incursions increases during the night hours.
France Calls for Halt to Israeli Settler Violence
In a political move, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian called Monday for a halt to the violence of Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank, following his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem. Le Drian, who is on a tour in the Middle East to push for a ceasefire to stop the war between Israel and Palestinian resistance factions, said, “In no way can there be any forced displacement of Palestinians, neither from Gaza nor from the occupied West Bank.”
On the other hand, the French Minister condemned the remarks “inciting hatred towards Palestinians and calling for the commission of war crimes,” describing these statements as serious. He emphasized that “the future of Gaza cannot be separated from the future of the West Bank. Preparing for this future must be through supporting the Palestinian Authority, which must be renewed and returned to Gaza as soon as possible.” Le Drian called for a “comprehensive political settlement with two states living in peace side by side”, requiring the immediate resumption of the peace process.
The French Minister reiterated in Cairo that he rejects any “forced displacement” to Egypt for the people of Gaza fleeing Israeli bombardment and crowding at the gates of Sinai. He emphasized that “nothing, nowhere, can justify terrorism,” condemning “the terrorist acts of Hamas” as well as “crimes of a sexual nature committed on October 7,” and announced that France will support with “200,000 euros the rape response centers in Israel”. From Israel, Le Drian headed to Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, where the headquarters of the Palestinian Authority.
He met with his Palestinian counterpart Riyad al-Maliki and then with the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas. Following the meetings, the French Minister said, “I reiterated the call for a sustainable ceasefire (in Gaza) for humanitarian reasons,” confirming that the “issue of the hostages”, who are still detained in Gaza, including 3 French citizens, is a “priority in France’s diplomatic work.”
The Israeli occupation forces continue their war on Gaza for the 123rd day, facing fierce resistance from Palestinian factions on several fronts in Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip, as well as in the central and northern areas.
