Land grab: Israel’s ethnic cleansing quest continues in Palestine
Israel’s intent on ethnically cleansing Palestinians from their lands, the occupied areas around the West Bank, and Gaza Strip continues. Zionist forces yesterday conducted yet another bloody, horrific slaughter of innocent Palestinian men, women and children in the occupied West Bank.
The Israelis justified the massacre, saying it was to put a stop to a new generation of Palestinian militants and that Jenin is “a refuge for terrorism.” The Western powers know it is nothing less than ethnic cleansing but turn a blind eye to the atrocities. If it was a skirmish on a Ukrainian border or a Chinese warship skirting the Taiwan Strait then Uncle Sam’s troops would have been dispatched in a nanosecond.
Those brave enough to call out Israeli butchery are labelled antisemitic in a bid to shut down the argument while the slaying continues.
The Zionist Israeli militias did not face condemnation for the unlawful displacement of 750,000 Palestinians during the Nakba in 1948 and, it could be argued that, this historical event has contributed to the ongoing imposition of an apartheid rule by the Israeli government.
How did it start?
In late 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 181 to partition Palestine into Arab and Jewish states, with just 33 votes in favour, reported AJazeera. Palestinians rejected the UN’s partition plan as an obvious violation of Palestinian rights and warned of a bloody war to come. It did not take long.
On March 10, 1948, the Zionist Haganah paramilitary adopted Plan Dalet, a strategy to ethically cleanse Palestine. Two months later, David Ben-Gurion declared the creation of the state of Israel which led to the first Palestine-Israel war and a massive refugee crisis.
Zionist forces would go on to capture 78% of Palestine with the rest divided into what are now the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip.
The ground and air assault on the Jenin refugee camp yesterday was the most extensive military operation in the occupied territory since the 2000-2005 Second Intifada – a widespread Palestinian uprising against Israel’s long-standing occupation.
The ongoing incursion resulted in the deaths of at least eight people, including two children. Additionally, an Israeli soldier shot and killed a ninth Palestinian near Ramallah.”
The mayor of Jenin, Nidal Obeidi, slammed the attack as “a real massacre and an attempt to wipe out all aspects of life inside the city and the camp.” Obeidi told Al Jazeera…
“Those being targeted now are not just the resistance fighters but civilians are being killed and wounded as well.”
Jenin’s local authorities declared the suspension of water and electricity services to the refugee camp due to the ongoing conflict.
The Palestine Red Crescent reported the evacuation of approximately 3,000 from Jenin. With a deployment of numerous troops, aerial attacks using drones, and missile strikes on the densely populated camp housing around 20,000 people, the Israeli military also aimed at demolishing homes and roads as part of their assault on the area’s infrastructure.
The resistance stronghold against the Israeli occupation has frequently attracted attention, as evidenced by a recent Israeli incursion in Jenin resulting in the death of at least seven Palestinians merely two weeks ago.
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, of course, made assurances that Tel Aviv had no plans to extend its operation to the rest of the occupied West Bank, but armed clashes persisted between Israeli troops and Palestinian fighters near the refugee camp, prompting the military to deploy reinforcements.
The Israeli military reported that Palestinian fighters had taken shelter in a mosque, vowing to continue the operation until suspects affiliated with armed groups were apprehended. This process was estimated to require another 24 hours to complete.
According to Defense for Children International-Palestine, the two young victims in Jenin were identified as 15 year old Nouruddin Husam Yousef Marshoud and 17 year old Majdi Younis Saud Ararawi. The oldest among the nine victims yesterday was 23 year old Mohammed Muhannad al-Shami.
Several journalists claimed they were deliberately targeted by Israeli live fire while reporting on the events in Jenin. Ahmed Shehadeh, a correspondent for Al Araby TV channel, revealed that his camera was destroyed by gunfire while he and four other journalists were trapped inside one of the homes in the camp for two hours before being evacuated by the Red Crescent.
Israel’s attacks on Jenin form part of a broader campaign to suppress resistance, as more young Palestinians take up arms. Analysts predict that Israel’s hard-right government will persist with its heavy-handed approach towards Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Palestinian lawyer and analyst Diana Buttu stated that Israel is determined to crush Jenin and any form of resistance. She explained that Palestinians are presented with three options by Israel: leave, remain as residents without citizenship, or face crushing repression if they resist. Buttu asserted that the Israeli government is implementing these choices.
Hassan Ayyoub, a Palestinian political science professor, agreed, adding that Israel’s ultimate goal is to eradicate any form of Palestinian resistance and extinguish hopes for self-determination or recognition as a people. He emphasized the historical significance of Jenin as a symbol of resistance, which Israel seeks to eliminate. For Palestinians, ending the occupation is a matter of principle.
The international community strongly condemned the Israeli raid and called for an immediate cessation. Turkey’s foreign ministry warned that tensions could ignite a dangerous cycle of violence. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation labelled the Israeli incursion a “heinous crime.”
Qatar stressed the urgency for the international community to safeguard the Palestinian people against blatant Israeli violations. Jordan condemned the escalation as a violation of international humanitarian law, while Egypt cautioned of grave repercussions and urged international intervention.
UN Middle East envoy Tor Wennesland described the situation as highly perilous and called for the protection of civilians.
The United States, predictably, stated its support for Israel’s security and its right to defend against Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist groups.
Today, the Nakba continues with forced evictions and the daily slaughter of Palestinians is ongoing while the rest of the world sits by and watches like a sick, twisted voyeur.
