Israeli escalation continued; seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli army gunfire this week, meanwhile the European Union chose to label Israeli settlement products.
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On Saturday, Israeli troops destroyed three houses belonging to Palestinians in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, approximately 49 kilometers (30 miles) north of al-Quds, and the other in the town of Silwad, located 12 kilometers (7.4 miles) northeast of Ramallah. These also include minimum jail terms for Palestinian stone-throwers, looser rules of engagement for the army and withholding the bodies of attackers to prevent funerals from becoming political rallies. The five suspects, including the cell leader and the two who fired at the Eitam and Naama Henkin auto, are residents of Nablus.
While initially gaining little traction, it has over the years been cited by Israeli prime ministers, including Netanyahu, as a potential framework, although a few elements like withdrawal from the Golan Heights and the right of return for Palestinian refugees remain unacceptable to Israel. Israeli forces have killed at least 78 Palestinians, 45 of whom Israel says were carrying out or were about to carry out attacks. “3 hits were confirmed”, the army said in a statement.
The attacks are not organized or institutionalized, but “spontaneous and popular”, according to the Shin Bet.
The current round of bloodshed was triggered by unrest at a major Jerusalem shrine revered by Muslims and Jews, and quickly spread to Israel, the West Bank and the Gaza border.
Offering a glimpse of the variety of opportunities for peace, the documentary follows Palestinian Ayed Morrar as he unites his community and leads the peaceful resistance of Israel’s Separation Barrier while it threatens to destroy his village Budrus. Glick, an American-born Israeli rabbi, was shot and wounded in a Palestinian assassination attempt a year ago.
“I am not going to comment on those other than to say that what I have found since leaving the Quartet role is it has been easier to have conversations of complete frankness with people”, he said.
The development comes amid deadly tensions between the Tel Aviv regime and Palestinians triggered by Israel’s imposition on August 26 of sweeping restrictions on entries into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East al-Quds and Israeli settlers’ repeated attacks on the mosque. “And since I have the relationships, people are maybe prepared in a few way to be more forthcoming”, he said.
Israel has employed a policy of house demolitions in the West Bank and the Gaza strip since 1967.
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Israel says the fighting has been fueled by Palestinian incitement while Palestinians say it’s the result of despair over the repeated failure of peace talks and a lack of hope of gaining independence. The Syrian civil war and rise of the Islamic State militant group have largely pushed the Palestinian issue off the global agenda.
