In a deeply troubling development, a surge of violence has gripped occupied East Jerusalem and the West Bank, while the Israeli military has issued an evacuation order for nearly half of Gaza’s population in anticipation of an imminent ground offensives.
In the West Bank, calls for marches in major towns and cities were met with chaotic clashes between Palestinian protesters, Israeli security forces, and settlers. Regrettably, at least 11 Palestinians lost their lives in the West Bank on this fateful day, according to reports from the Palestinian health ministry. The unrest persisted into the evening.
Khaled Mashal, the former leader of Hamas, has called for a “global day of rage” in solidarity with Palestinians, urging the Middle East’s governments and people to protest.
Meanwhile, in Jerusalem, a traditional flashpoint for Friday violence, worshippers had gathered for the weekly prayer session at the critical al-Aqsa mosque compound. However, the turnout was surprisingly low due to age restrictions imposed by Israel, barring Palestinians under the age of 60 from entering. The situation was further exacerbated by threats from an extremist Jewish group, the Beyadenu Temple Mount Movement, who vowed to obstruct Muslim worshippers’ access.
Reports of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli security forces also emerged in the Old City’s Muslim quarter and Palestinian neighborhoods of Issawiya and Wadi Joz.
In Gaza, an unprecedented level of firepower has been unleashed, surpassing the intensity of the five-year-long international campaign against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. This bombardment followed Israel’s declaration of war in response to massacres carried out by Hamas in civilian communities and army bases.
The early-morning evacuation order for northern Gaza City sent shockwaves through a population already struggling under relentless Israeli airstrikes and a stifling blockade, which the UN classifies as a war crime. The Israeli military cited concerns about Hamas militants hiding in tunnels under the city as the rationale behind the evacuation.
As the conflict escalates, Israel has called up 360,000 reservists, and this war is expected to be one of the most protracted and deadliest in the region since Hamas took control of Gaza in 2007. Over the years, these adversaries have engaged in four wars and numerous smaller escalations.
Amidst the turmoil, a small number of Jewish worshippers cautiously made their way to the Western Wall, an important site adjacent to the al-Aqsa mosque complex. However, their numbers were significantly reduced on this tense day.
The impending ground offensive in Gaza raises grave concerns about escalating casualties in the relentless house-to-house combat. Israel has deployed unprecedented numbers of reservists, concentrated additional forces near the strip, and evacuated tens of thousands of nearby residents.
This devastating conflict has already resulted in more than 1,300 Israeli casualties from the Hamas attack and subsequent fighting, while Israeli airstrikes have claimed the lives of over 1,800 people in Gaza, according to authorities.
The situation remains deeply troubling, with no immediate resolution in sight.
