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THE Israeli military has been condemned for launching a large-scale operation in Hebron in the southern occupied West Bank, deploying hundreds of soldiers and heavy machinery in a move that has paralysed the city’s southern districts.
In a joint statement yesterday, the Israeli army and the internal security service, Shin Bet, confirmed the offensive, stating it aims to “thwart terror infrastructure” and confiscate weapons in the Jebel Johar area.
This comes as the death toll from Israeli attacks in Gaza has risen to 71 548, with 171 353 reported wounded, and about 11 000 missing and presumed dead, since the beginning of the offensive on October 7, 2023, according to medical sources.
Reporting from the scene, Al Jazeera Arabic’s correspondent Montaser Nassar described a state of total lockdown in Hebron.
As the invasion of Hebron continue, the State of Palestine said it is deeply distressed by the death toll from the Israeli occupation’s relentless aggression on the Gaza Strip.
Despite the ceasefire coming into effect on October 11 last year, the Israeli occupation has continued to flagrantly disregard the terms of the agreement, resulting in the continued loss of lives.
In a statement, Palestinian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Dr Tamer Almassri has strongly condemned the Israeli occupation’s persistent ceasefire violations, which have been exacerbated by an alarming increase in settlement activities in the West Bank.
He said the unchecked rise in settler terrorism has created an environment of fear and intimidation, forcing Palestinian families to flee their ancestral lands, including the recent incident in Ras al-Auja, where over 50 families were forced to leave their homes after decades of residence.
“The Israeli settler militias, operating with impunity, have resorted to cutting off essential services such as electricity, attacking homes and terrorising communities without consequence,” he said.
“This deliberate campaign of displacement and dispossession is a blatant attempt to erase the Palestinian identity and presence in the West Bank. The State of Palestine emphasises that these actions are a direct threat to the prospects of peace and stability in the region.”
Ambassador Almassri added that in light of the “egregious developments”, the State of Palestine urgently calls for an immediate halt to all colonial settlement activities, an end to the terrorism perpetrated by Israeli colonists, and the release of withheld Palestinian funds. — Al Jazeera/ Herald Reporter
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